Hearts of Silver
by sailormewmewinuluver
Summary: May contain mature themes. A Seiya and Usagi love story. I 3 this couple. This is originally from a different website but I'm transferring it to here enjoy comment all that stuff. Enjoy
1. Meet The Senshi

Sailor Moon

Sailor Moon is known by many names, such as Usagi Tsukino, Princess Serenity, Neo-Queen Serenity, and more. She is the Princess of the Moon and the leader of the Sailor Scouts. She is clumsy, whiny, and a scaredy cat, but she has shown much improvement over the years. She is a very loyal friend and a hopeless romantic. She can do absolutely anything if her mind is put to it, and she is always cheerful. Her carefree personality can often lead to trouble for her and the other scouts, but she knows when to be serious when it counts. She is able to sense the true good in others, and refuses to listen to anyone who tells her she is wrong. She believes that everyone has good in them, and thus leads to her angelic Eternal form. She is truly an angel and someone who the other Sailor Scouts hold very close to their hearts.

Sailor Mercury

Sailor Mercury, also known as Ami Mizuno and the Princess of Mercury, is the brains of the group. She is very smart and hopes to one day become a doctor, just like her mother. She is very kind and warmhearted, and is very faithful. She is always reasonable and cares for everyone. Her power is the power over water.

Sailor Mars

Sailor Mars, also known as Rei Hino and the Princess of Mars, is the fiercest of the group. She is a Miko, which is kind of like a psychic. She is bossy, mean, and somewhat rude, but she always comes through for her friends. Her and Serena get in fights all of the time, but they have the closest relationship. Her power is the power over fire.

Sailor Jupiter

Sailor Jupiter, also known as Makoto Kino and the Princess of Jupiter, is the tough one of the group. She even got expelled from multiple schools for fighting. She doesn't fight for fun though, she fights to protect herself and her friends. She is also a very skilled cook. Serena is always going to her for something to eat. Makoto is a very reliable friend and a great addition to the Sailor Scouts. Her power is the power over thunder and lightning.

Sailor Venus

Sailor Venus, also known as Minako Aino and the Princess of Venus, is the sweetheart of the group. The Sailor Scouts even thought she was the Moon Princess because of her graceful appearance and beauty. She was the first Sailor Scout to be discovered by her cat Artemis, but back then she was called "Sailor V." She is very romantic and is always the one to go to for relationship advice. Her power is the power of love.

Sailor Mini Moon

Sailor Mini Moon, also known as Chibi-Usa, Usagi Chiba and Small Lady, is the child of the group. She is the future daughter of Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen who was sent back to the past to fight alongside her parents and become a better fighter. She is very sweet and lovable, though she tends to get in fights with Usagi lot. Her heart is true and she is a very great friend to depend on.

Tuxedo Kamen

Tuxedo Kamen, also known as Endymion Chiba, Prince Endymion, and the Prince of Earth, is the hero of the group. He always swoops in whenever the Sailor Scouts need help. He is the future husband of Usagi and the future father of Chibi-Usa. He is very warmhearted, smart, and romantic. He treats his family well and always provides a shoulder to cry on. He is very agile and quick, and uses a black stick and a rose to fight enemies.

Sailor Uranus

Sailor Uranus, also known as Haruka Tenou and the Princess of Uranus, is the mysterious one of the group. She dreams of being a professional racer, which is a big dream because she is a girl. She is a very skilled fighter as well, even better than Jupiter. She is best friends with Michiru (next) and will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. Haruka is a little hard-headed and doesn't believe in hope, but will always come through for those in need. Her power is the power of Earth. She also holds the Space Sword, a very powerful weapon that was created with the use of her own pure heart.

Sailor Neptune

Sailor Neptune, also known as Michiru Kaiou and the Princess of Neptune, is the graceful one of the group. She is always flawless, almost like the sea. She is calm and collected, and very talented. She can paint, play the violin, swim, and more. She is best friends with Haruka (previous), and is always found by her side. She doesn't like to see others suffer, and can often sense when evil is nearby. She even sensed that Haruka was a Sailor Scout. Her power is that of the sea, similar to Sailor Mercury's. Neptune is believed to be much stronger than Mercury though. She also has the Deep Aqua Mirror, one of the three powerful talismans that was formed from her pure heart.

Sailor Pluto

Sailor Pluto, also known as Setsuna Meioh, the Guardian of Time, and the Princess of Pluto, is the wise one of the group. She is in charge of monitoring who goes through the Time Gate to the future and to the past. She aided Reni when she first traveled back to the past to find the Silver Crystal. She is very wise, and seems to know the answer to almost everything. She is very confident with herself and refuses to believe anything other than what she deems to be true. She cares dearly for Reni, and often calls her "Small Lady." Sailor Pluto has the power to stop time, speed it up, etc., and she also uses her Garnet Rod to attack enemies. Her Garnet Ball was a talisman created by her pure heart, and she is a very strong and effective addition to the Sailor Scout team.

Sailor Saturn

Sailor Saturn, also known as the Messiah of Silence, Mistress 9, Hotaru Tomoe, and the Princess of Saturn, is the unique one of the group. She is very different and has a lot of mysterious powers. She is the Sailor Scout of Destruction, and is deemed to be dangerous when first introduced. She is very good friends with Reni, and isn't very closely related to anyone else. She is extremely powerful, though most of her powers remain unknown. Despite being the Scout of Destruction, she is also the Scout of Rebirth. Hotaru herself was reborn once. She was overpowered by dark forces, but now resides happily with her father, Doctor Tomoe. She has many different attacks, all of which have to do with silence. She also possesses the Silence Glaive, a weapon so powerful that, if she brings it down, it can end the world.

The Sailor Starlights

Seiya; Star Fighter: Seiya is the leader of the Sailor Starlights. He is very athletic, talented, and handsome. He is very cocky and arrogant, however, and likes to think that he is superior. Him and Amaura have a certain rivalry together, because they are both so alike. He has a crush on Usagi, a crush that she is oblivious to.

Taiki; Star Maker: Taiki is the tallest Starlight, and he is very quiet most of the time. He is very intelligent, and often challenges Ami when it comes to academic capabilities. He and Ami seemed to have a small "spark" together, but their relationship never grew. He is normally the one to calm down Seiya whenever his temper rises, and he's very stubborn when it comes to admitting he is wrong.

Yaten; Star Healer: Yaten is the most mysterious of the Starlights. His bright green eyes are mesmerizing, and they seem to hold all of his thoughts. He seemed to have a small "spark" with Minako, but once again their relationship never really grew. He doesn't get much attention from anyone, but he is just as talented as the other two. Not much is known about him, because he is so mysterious and silent.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Serena's P.O.V.

Saturdays are personally my favorite day of the week. On Saturday's, I get to sleep in as long as I want, and I don't have to worry about a single thing. Saturday's are just...perfect. Especially this one.

I woke up this Saturday morning fresh from a perfect dream. Naturally, this dream was about Darien, my true love. Darien and I were meant to be together. I know you probably hear this a lot from typical teenage girls, but it's true. Thousands of years ago, Darien, the Prince of Earth, and me, the Princess of the Moon, had fallen in love. It was a tragedy when the evil Queen Beryl, who is now destroyed, destroyed my own kingdom, myself and my mother included. It was thanks to my mother, Queen Serenity, that I am here today.

I stretched out on my bed, almost instantly hearing a loud, "Meow!" from my cat Luna. She leaped out from underneath my leg and glared at me.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly. She scoffed and leaped up onto my desk, silent as I got up and put on my fluffy pink robe.

"Do you ever stop dreaming about Darien?" Luna asked with a sigh. Yes, she is a cat, and yes, she can talk. I giggled and bounded out of my room and down the stairs towards the smell of pancakes. My future daughter, Reni, was already seated at the table, gobbling up pancake after pancake. Now, I know you're probably thinking, How in the world are my parents letting my daughter from the future live with us? Well, here's the down-low: Reni hypnotized my parents to make them believe that she is our cousin. Crazy, right? I know it sounds cruel, but when you live in a world like mine you have to do whatever it takes.

"You little brat! You already ate half of the pancakes!" I said, starting to whine. Reni giggled and stuck her tongue out at me.

"Hush darling, I have more coming," my mother said. I love my mom. Seriously. She's the best. She makes the best home-cooked meals and is always there for me when I need someone to talk to. She loves us all equally.

I sighed and plopped down across from my brother Sammy. "Shouldn't you be getting ready? Don't you have a date with Darien today?" Sammy said with a smirk.

"WHAT?! How come I was not aware of this? Serena, you'd better start explaining right this instant," my father said, suddenly appearing in the doorway. My eyes widened, both in fear and in shock.

"Come on sweetheart, the poor girl needs some freedom," my mother said, putting a hand on my father's shoulder.

"But I don't like him one bit. He is way too old to be dating my little girl," my father retorted. I ignored their conversation and peered over Sammy's head to check the time. 11:43. I was supposed to meet Darien at noon. Unconciously, I began to scream. All activity stopped as my family stared at me.

"I'M GONNA BE LATEEEEEE!" I shrieked, jumping up from the table. Sammy and Reni immediately started laughing and holding onto each other, while my parents just stood there and sighed. I ran back up the stairs and flung open my bedroom door, causing Luna to yelp and hide under my desk.

"Late again?" she said, clearly unamused.

"Can it Luna!" I said, rushing to my closet and picking out a pink button-up shirt and denim shorts. I quickly put them on and slipped on some sandals. "I'm gonna be soooo late!" I said to myself as I rushed to my vanity. I quickly put on a pair of earrings and lipgloss before rushing out my bedroom door.

"Serena?" Luna's voice echoed behind me.

I spun around, annoyed. "What!?" I said.

"You're hair," Luna replied with a smug grin. I groaned and ran back into my room. My incredibly long hair was hanging in loose waves around my face. Some may say it looked pretty, but I like my hair to be out of my face. I tied it up in the usual buns on the top of my head and checked myself one last time before running back out the door.

"Bye Luna!" I shouted over my shoulder as I darted downstairs. "Bye guys!" I shouted to my family. Before waiting for their replies, I was out the door and half-walking-half-running towards Clearwater Park, Darien and I's meeting place. It wasn't long until I started getting winded and had to lean against a bench for a few seconds. I checked the time on my watch and started running again. I was ten minutes late. Darien is going to be soooo mad at me...

I finally reached the park and went to the fountain, where we usual met up. But... he was nowhere to be found. Darien's never late, to anything. "Darien? Darien, are you here?" I called, feeling kind of stupid. I sat down on the rim of the fountain and put my chin in my hands.

I sat there for a few minutes before deciding to get up and look for him. I was walking towards the lake when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, but no one was there. I spun back around to continue walking only to be met with familiar warm arms wrapping around me. Darien's soft lips connected with mine, and I smiled into the kiss. He was always teasing me.

"Late again?" he breathed. I giggled. "What am I going to do with you?" he said, starting to lean away. I stared down at my shoes, thinking of some sort of comeback.

"I'm sorry, I just overslept, and my dad got all hung up about me meeting you, and Luna wouldn't stop teasing me, and-" I was interrupted by Darien's finger on my lips, shushing me.

"Never mind that. How about I take you out on the lake?" he said. I smiled and nodded.

We held hands all the way down to the lake and rented a boat. Darien rowed us towards the center of the lake where the Sun shined brightly and the water shimmered.

"Doesn't this feel so...perfect?" I asked him, looking at two doves flying past us. He sighed and leaned back.

"Sure does," he said. I smiled and looked down at my hands. He was so perfect, everything about him made my heart soar. His hair, his eyes, his voice, his personality. He was mine, and nothing was ever going to change that.

"Um, Serena?" Darien said, looking at me with serious eyes. My mood changed instantly. I knew that look.

"Yes?"

"I had a dream last night...and it wasn't a very good one..." Darien said, staring deep into my eyes.

"What happened?" I asked, taking his hands.

"I...I can't really explain it...all I know is that something bad is coming...something greater than anything we've ever faced. And...I think it's coming for you," Darien said. I noticed tears starting to brim his eyes. Darien almost never cried. The only time I ever saw him cry was when I almost died trying to prevent a meteor from hitting Earth.

I was silent, because I knew that was what he needed.

"But I promise you Serena, I will never let anyone or anything hurt you. I will always be here to protect you, you know that right?" He said, placing one hand behind my neck.

"Of course," I said with a smile. Our foreheads were touching now, and I took in his smell, the smell of roses. I pressed my lips to his and we kissed right there in the middle of the lake. Just like old times.

I pulled away and stared into his eyes. They were so intense, so mysterious.

"What are you thinking about?" he said. I smiled. He always knew when I had something on my mind.

"Nothing will ever happen to me. I promised to myself and to you that I would keep my family safe. I will never let anyone come between us," I said, taking his hand. He smiled, but it wasn't genuine. I could tell there was uncertainty hidden within, but I would prove to him that I could take care of myself.

He rowed us back to the docks, and we talked about school and other Sailor business. Darien is a few years older than me, and a WHOLE lot taller. He's actually in college, while I'm in my final year of high school.

He got out of the boat first and outstretched his hand to pull me up. I giggled to myself and took it; he was such a gentleman. He gently pulled me up, but my foot caught on the edge of the boat, causing me to fall forward. I braced myself for impact with the ground, but it never came. As usual, Darien came to my rescue, catching me in his strong arms. Way to show him that you can take care of yourself Serena, I thought to myself.

"You're such a clutz," Darien said, rolling his eyes.

I sighed and looked down at my shoes. "Yeah, I know. I'm really trying here!" I said looking up. It's so frustrating having to look up at him because he's so much taller than me. It makes my neck cramp.

"But, you're my clutz," he said, pulling me in for a hug.

I loved the attention and love I was getting from him, but normally it was me leaning in for the kiss, and it was me hanging on his arm as if I was afraid he was going to slip away, not him. He's not normally this affectionate, and it was starting to make me suspicious.

You see, I'm really cautious when it comes to him being around other girls. It's not jealousy, it's just the fact that I've lost him so many times that I just won't be able to live with myself if I ever lose him again.

"How about I take you out for some ice cream?" he said, starting to walk forward. I had to kind of jog to catch up to him, because his legs were so long so he moved farther.

"Sounds great! I'm starved! Our daughter ate all of my pancakes this morning, and I didn't get a single bite!" I replied, feeling annoyed just thinking about it. But, she takes after me, which I guess I'm proud of :).

He laughed and started walking in the direction of his motorcycle. I felt my heart start to beat faster. Riding on his motorcycle really winded me, and got my adrenaline rushing. It not only scared me, but it gave me a thrill. I loved thrills :)

We went to the ice cream parlour, and I ordered a triple chocolate fudge sundae with extra chocolate chips. I'm a small girl with a BIG appetite, and Darien knows it. He chuckled when he heard my order and ordered a chocolate malt. Another thing we have in common; we both LOVE chocolate.

After I practically scarfed down my sundae, we went back outside to go for a walk. He was walking me home, which was the last place I wanted to be. I wanted to stay out here with him forever.

"You're perfect, you know that?" I said. He wrapped an arm around me, pulling me closer. We were silent on the walk home, but I appreciated it. The silence held all of our words.

We arrived at the gate outside of my house and he took my hands in his. I looked down at the engagement ring I had on my finger as it reflected the sunlight.

Yes, we were engaged. My parents don't know, only my friends. But Darien proposed to me the day he was sent off to Germany to study abroad. Right there in the airport, he gave me this beautiful pink hearted engagement ring, and I have never taken it off.

"I love you," he said, bending down to kiss me. I rose on my tippy-toes and kissed him lightly. "I love you more," I said. I let go of his hands and started walking towards my front door.

"Most!" he yelled.

"Most of all!" I yelled back with a laugh. I opened the door and was halfway in the house.

"To infinity!" he said, laughing now.

"To infinity and beyond," I said, shutting the door.

We always played silly games like that. He teased me, I teased him back, it was all just part of our perfect relationship.

We were a perfect family.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Usagi's P.O.V.

After Mamoru left, I was bored out of my mind. I lay down on my back in my room and just stared at the ceiling fan, swirling, swirling. Even though I hate fighting monsters, it took up most of my day, so I was never alone. But now that Galaxia (the most powerful Sailor Scout who turned evil) is back to her normal self, there haven't been any evil threats. And yet there's that one small feeling in the put of my stomach that is telling me that I need to be prepared.

My communicator started beeping, so I went over to my desk and picked it up. "What's up?" I said to Ami, who's face was on the small circular screen.

"Rei's doing a fire meeting at the temple in ten minutes. She says she senses some evil," Ami said, sounding serious. I sighed. Back to fighting monsters again, yay. I guess it's good and bad.

I closed the communicator and put it on my wrist and grabbed my brooch before heading back out. My brooch is what allows me to transform into Sailor Moon, and it holds the Legendary Silver Crystal.

The Silver Crystal was my mother's thousands of years ago, and she used it to save us all and send us to Earth when Queen Beryl destroyed the Moon Kingdom. When Luna first discovered I was Sailor Moon, all she ever talked about was finding the Silver Crystal and the Moon Princess. Funny how they both turned out to be mine.

The Moon Crystal is the most powerful item in the galaxy, and it grows stronger with each new friendship I have. It's gone from a small sphere, to a flower, to a heart, to a tiny star, but the tiny star is the crystal in one of its most powerful forms.

"I want to come too!" Chibi-Usa said behind me as I was about to walk out the door. I groaned. I know she's a Sailor Scout, but does she really have to go to every reading? But I know one thing; she's my daughter, which means no one is going to stop her from going.

"Come on then," I said with a sigh. I walked towards Rei's temple, while Chibi-Usa happily skipped behind me. I guess I just wasn't in a happy mood, probably because I was anticipating a few lectures from Rei...

We arrived at Rei's 5 minutes late because Chibi-Usa just HAD to touch the purple butterfly's wings. Before walking inside, I stopped and took a deep breath. If I'm going to prove to Mamoru and everyone else that I can take care of myself, I have to be serious and ignore Rei's teasing.

I slid open the door to Rei's Fire Reading Room and silently sat next to Ami. I was so quiet, it even surprised me. Normally, I would just fall flat on my face when trying to be silent. I always screw things up.

I noticed Ami look at me funny, then turn back to Rei, who was deep in concentration.

"O, great Fire, guide us towards our newest enemy. I feel dark forces here, please help us to destroy it!" Rei said, making funny hand motions. The fire roared and crackled, and I knew it was showing Rei our next enemy.

"What is it?" Makoto asked, leaning forward. Rei's hands dropped, and I had a feeling her mouth did the same.

"Rei?" Luna said, taking a few steps forward. How she got here, I have no clue.

The fire died down and Rei turned around to face us.

"It...it was empty. There was nothing there," Rei said, bewildered. We all stared at her in shock.

"Rei, this isn't funny. Please just tell us what was in the fire," Minako said, trying not to let her voice shake.

Rei shook her head. "No joke," she said.

"Well, I guess that means we'll have to find out the hard way," Artemis, Minako's cat, said.

"Oh, Usagi I didn't even notice you were here. I'm surprised you didn't trip over your own feet and blow my concentration like you always do," Rei said. I glared at her, but said nothing. I can do this.

"She must have taken a fall before coming here," Artemis said. He and Rei were always bullying me. He's a cat for crying out loud, and he still seems to think he is better than me. My rage was building, but I kept my mouth tight.

"Stop it you guys, can't you tell she's trying? Maybe the Princess in her is starting to kick in," Minako said. I gave her a smile and said, "Thanks Mina." She winked and we all stood to go outside. Ami and Makotowere strangely silent.

"So, who wants to go out for ice cream?" Rei said. I knew she was trying to get me to crack so she could tease me more, but I wasn't falling for it. Not this time.

Everyone echoed with "Yes!" and "I do!", but I shrugged and said, "I had some earlier with Mamoru, thanks anyway." Everyone stared at me in utter shock. I must have been doing a good job at using my manners then :)

Rei rebounded with, "I bet you pigged out with Mamoru. Poor guy has to be stuck with Piggy Usagi."

That was it. I just couldn't hold it in anymore. I clenched my fists and yelled, "You know what? That's it. I'm done. I'm done with all of you! Especially you, Rei! You're mean to me and you have absolutely no respect for me, or anyone else. And the rest of you don't even bother to stick up for me, even though you know that I'm trying here! I'll prove to you all that I can handle myself, just you watch!"

I spun on my heels, leaving them all speechless. As soon as I turned the corner, I started to cry. The tears just kept coming, no matter how furiously I wiped them away. I eventually decided to just sit down somewhere and calm myself.

Why do they have to be so mean? What did I ever do to make Rei hate me so much? None of the other girls even bothered to stand up for me, even though they saw how mean Rei was being. Rei wasn't normally this mean, either. She would have some snide remarks, but it was never this bad. It seemed like today she just wanted to target someone, and naturally she chose me.

I sat on a bench and cradled my head in my hands. A familiar voice caused me to lift my head up.

"Hey meatballhead! Why the long face?"

It was Haruka, with Michiru right next to her. The always manage to sneak up whenever you aren't watching.

I smiled widely and jumped up to hug them. I haven't seen them in forever!

"What are you guys doing here? I thought you traveled back to the future!" I said.

"We sensed some evil, so we came back just to check up on things. What's going on Usagi, why are your eyes all red?" Michiru said, putting a hand on my shoulder. Her touch was delicate, and it soothed me in a way.

"Oh, you know, the usual," I said. They both knew about me and Rei's arguments.

"Ah. Do you want to go out for some ice cream or something? Maybe get your mind off things?" Haruka said. I don't know why, but her words infuriated me.

"Why does everyone think that all I do is eat ice cream? I do other things too you know!" I said, starting to shout.

"Woah, Serena, calm down! We didn't mean to offend you," Michiru said, reaching out once more. I backed away and shook my head.

"No! None of you understand. None of you get me!" I yelled before storming off.

I was just full of storms today.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Mamoru's P.O.V. I left Usagi at her house feeling uneasy. Being with her felt right, but all the while I'm thinking elsewhere. I really love her, and I hate myself every day for the tragedies I caused in the past. She deserves better than me. I've caused her pain too many times to count. And she's never caused me any pain or grief. My dream last night as left me frazzled for thoughts. I have no idea what to think. It's impossible to tell whether my dreams are real or just a dream. I'm praying that it was just a dream, but that's not enough. With each step I took away from her, the worse I felt. I knew something was going to happen. Every inch of my being was telling me to turn around and go back to her, protect her. And yet my feet still kept moving towards my apartment. ******* I sat on my couch and stared at the black TV screen, trying to balance my thoughts. There has to be something that can calm my nerves. I pulled out the rose that makes me transform into Tuxedo Kamen and twirled it in my fingers. It's been an hour since I dropped Usagi off, and so far no signs of danger. Good. I suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion, and I realized how tired I was. I had classes before meeting Usagi, so I had to wake up about 8 a.m. I leaned back on a pillow and closed my eyes, slowly drifting off... ******* *In Mamoru's Dream* Serena was Sailor Moon, and she was on the ground. Cuts and bruises covered her arms and legs, and she looked tired out. There was nothing left in her. And she was alone. Not another Sailor Scout was in sight. But she forced herself to stand and run, run as fast as she could. She stumbled and fell multiple times, but still got back up. A Nega-Monster was chasing her, and it was stronger than an ordinary monster. Sailor Moon fell once more, and desperately tried to use her tiara, but the monster just knocked it away. She was panting and bleeding, and there was no way out. I was just a ghost, watching from above. I tried to scream, tried to tell her to run. But she couldn't hear me. This was a dream. The monster raised it's cannon-like arm and I saw red hot flames being formed inside of it. "USAGI!" I screamed. And the cannon went off. *******

Usagi's P.O.V.

I was alone in a wide clearing when my legs just turned to jelly and I sank to the ground. A cloud of dust rose around me and I began to cry once more. I wrapped my arms around my knees and just cried about everything. All of the stress and hardships, all of the friends I miss and will never see again. Like Seiya... I felt a whoosh behind me that caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand up. I stood and turned around, shocked to see a Nega-Creep right in front of me. I screamed and ran, pulling out my brooch. I stopped short and shouted, "Moon Eternal Power!" I felt the magic course through my body as I transformed into Eternal Sailor Moon, my full form. " Pretty soldier in a sailor suit I'm Sailor Moon! In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!" The monster just laughed evilly and raised it's cannon-like arm. It was a few feet away, but I could tell that it was shooting lasers. "Ahhh!" I yelled jumping out of the way. I landed on my knees and stood back up. I pulled off my tiara and shouted, "Moon Tiara Magic!" My tiara transformed into a discus and sailed towards the monster. A bright light erupted, and I started to cheer over my victory. All on my own too :) But then the light faded, and the monster was still there. "My turn," it said with a robotic voice. It threw the tiara back at me with surprising speed and accuracy. Before I could move out of the way, the tiara sliced a large cut in my arm. I screamed and clutched the scratch, feeling my knees go weak. "Tiara stop!" I said, reaching out with my other arm. The tiara sailed back to me and I put it back on my head. "You've...messed with the wrong girl," I spat, trying to stay strong. I was going to defeat this monster and show the others that I was capable of handling myself. I summoned my Eternal Tier, which is the scepter I use to beat my enemies. "Starlight Honeymoon-" I was stopped in my chant as the monster blasted another laser beam at me. But this time, it wasn't a laser. It was a thousand tiny blades, all piercing my skin like white fire. I yelled in pain and sank to the ground. The monster walked up and kicked me hard enough to send me rolling across the clearing. Why did I have to choose an empty clearing to stop and cry? I'm such a wimp. I'll never be able to take care of myself. I'll never be independent. I'll always be crybaby Usagi. A tear rolled down my cheek. I have never been kicked by an enemy. Ever. I pulled myself up, trying to hold whatever dignity I had left. "You have no chance against me Moon Twit," the monster said. "Who are you anyway?" I said, my voice just above a whisper. The monster laughed at me, and I felt anger course through me. But I had nothing left. "I am the greatest, the strongest enemy you will ever face. No one will ever defy me, I am superior. You and your silly Sailor Scouts have nothing compared to me." Just hearing those words made shivers run down my spine. I took the chance and started to run. I ran as fast as my tired-out legs would carry me. I felt them become weaker with each step. Another blade hit the back of my leg and I fell, catching myself with my hands. I forced myself to get back up and ran again, even though I knew it was futile to even try. My knees buckled beneath me and I fell for what I knew was the last time. I looked up at the monster, and let the tears fall. "I'm sorry I wasn't good enough Mamoru," I said aloud. The monster laughed evilly and charged the cannon. I squeezed my eyes shut, watching my life flash before me. My daughter, my friends, Luna, my parents, Sammy (my brother). And Mamoru. I will never forget Mamoru. And then the cannon went off. Goodbye my love.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Usagi's P.O.V.

The blast was loud, and the sound resonated through my ears. My head was pounding. I opened my eyes, to find nothing but white. Am I dead?

But then the white faded, and I realized it was just a flash. Everything was blurry, and I knew my consciousness was slipping.

"AHHHHHHHH!" the monster screeched, making my head hurt even more. I focused my eyes on the creature, noticing its cannon-like arm smoking. But wait...the cannon was gone. It must have blown up.

"Who dares to destroy my beautiful arm?" the monster yelled. I tried looking around, but my vision would only stretch so far. I only heard the hum of a voice, a voice so familiar it made me cry just believing it was here. No, I must be imagining things.

"I think it's about time you leave," the familiar voice said. But I couldn't see. I couldn't confirm my suspicions. My vision was getting shorter and shorter, red dots clouding whatever was left. My body felt numb.

"You may have caught me off guard this time, but it won't happen again."

Those were the monster's final words before it disappeared. The last thing I saw before slipping into the darkness that called to me was those beautiful, familiar navy blue eyes, sparkling like a star.

Mamoru's P.O.V.

I awoke with a start, sweat beading down my face. My rose was still in my hands, and I quickly ran out to my balcony. I used the rose to transform into Tuxedo Kamen and started to leap across rooftops towards the clearing I saw Usagi in. That dream was real, I could feel it. My head was pulsating with Usagi's pain, and the danger she was in.

I finally arrived at the clearing to see something that was not in my dream. Three figures were crowded around Sailor Moon, who looked like someone literally took a club and beat her til she died. Seeing her like that made my eyes water. This was all my fault. I should have stayed with her and protected her, but no I had to go home and fall asleep.

I leaped down, landing next to the three figures. My mouth dropped open when I realized who they were. "W-what are you doing here?" I said.

Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten. The Sailor Starlights. They were supposed to be back on their home planet. But here they were.

"Our Princess sent us back, saying she sensed evil from areas outside of our galaxy, far away. They are coming for her," Seiya said, pointing to the broken Sailor Moon. I bent down and pulled her into my arms, cradling her. She was motionless, but still breathing. I lifted her up bridal-style and stood.

"Thank you." I said, nodding at the three. Taiki stuck his nose in the air, while Yaten said, "If it weren't for us, she'd be dead right now. You don't deserve her."

His words sent a sharp pain to my heart, but I shrugged it off and said, "I know. But thank you anyway."

I began to walk away towards my apartment again, looking down at my love's face. Despite her pain, she still looked at ease.

Seiya's P.O.V.

My brothers and I decided that if we were supposed to be staying here, we might as well get back to our usual lives as popstars. Being an idol was fun, and it's something that I'm always going to want to do. But right now there were more important matters.

Usagi. I missed her every second of every day while I was gone, and seeing her like that today crushed me. I wanted our first meeting to be her smiling with that cheery aura that she possesses, maybe her falling and whining. I just wanted to see the light that drew me into her life once more. She's mesmerizing.

But it was a good thing we arrived when we did. Usagi was close to being nothing. But thanks to me, she's alive and safe with Prince Endymion. No matter how much I despise him, I respect him. It's hard to explain.

I admit, I have a deep crush on Usagi. I've had one for a while now. I just can't bear to see her hurt, or even be without her. I love seeing her, and I miss her dearly. She has such a beautiful personality, and she shines brighter than any other girl in the universe.

"He's so pretentious," Taiki said as we arrived in our old apartment complex. Yaten grunted and flopped down on the couch.

"Cool it. We need to focus on the evil," I said. For once I was being the serious one.

"But still, he's so ungrateful. He's not good enough for her. You'd be so much better," Taiki said, storming into his old bedroom.

I groaned and picked up the phone, starting to dial my old manager. "I think we all just need some rest."

Usagi's P.O.V.

My head was pounding. My ears were ringing. My whole body ached. Everything I could feel hurt. I slowly opened my eyes, only to receive light. The light burned and gave me a headache, so I immediately shut my eyes again. I was laying on a familiar cushion. Mamoru's bed.

So he must have saved me...I don't remember. I remember seeing navy blue eyes...but Mamoru didn't have navy blue eyes; Mamoru's eyes were caramel colored, and they were like a void of mysteries, eyes that sucked me right into them.

I heard a door open and soft footsteps on the carpet. I knew this place too well. "Usagi?" Mamoru said, his voice filled with worry and affection. I couldn't speak. I couldn't even open my eyes. It probably looked like I was still asleep. I heard Mamoru sit down next to the bed and prop his elbows next to me. It was so frustrating that I couldn't look at him, but a part of me didn't want to. I was afraid I would see shame in his eyes, or disappointment for not being able to take care of myself.

But then, I heard something that shattered my heart. Mamoru started to cry.

I felt deep pains in my chest, and I wanted to reach out and tell him that I was okay, and that he shouldn't worry. Then he started to speak.

"Usagi, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have left you, I'll never forgive myself. I'm so sorry. Please open your eyes. I love you," he said, taking my hand. That's it! I could squeeze his hand, let him know that I can hear him, and that I love him too. I was filled with a new determination. I calmed my muscles and focused my concentration on my right hand that was encased in Mamoru's warmth. I managed to make my thumb twitch. It was enough, because I felt Mamoru's head snap up. "Usagi?" he said, leaning forward. I had no way of communicating with him, telling him what I needed. I needed water, and I needed the lights to be turned off. It was so frustrating, but it's not his fault. It's mine for being such an irresponsible stupid whiner.

"Alright," Mamoru said. I was confused. Who was he talking to? He left the room and came back, which I found strange. I felt something being brought to my lips and Mamoru gently opened my mouth. I felt like I was in Heaven as the beautiful liquid rushed down my throat. Water, sweet water. The dryness that pervaded my mouth was gone, and I felt I could speak again. Then I felt less tension on my eyes. Did he turn the lights off? How did he know?

I took the dreadful risk of opening my eyes once more, and I was right. He turned off the lights. Mamoru's silhouette was painted beside me, and I did my best to smile. "Usagi! I'm so glad you're alright," Mamoru said, taking my hand.

"It's...not your fault," I croaked, sounding like a frog that just got shot. Mamoru sighed and leaned in, planting a kiss on my now-moistened lips.

There was a knock on Mamoru's front door, and he went to go answer it. Moments later, all of my friends entered the room. "Why are the lights out?" Rei said, a little too loud for my taste. I cringed a bit, and Ami shushed her.

"Usagi, oh my gosh are you alright?" Minako said, sitting next to me. I smiled at her. All of the girls sat around me, instantly making themselves at home. I was feeling stronger with them all with me, so I tried sitting up. Makoto and Mamoru quickly put a hand behind my back gently pushing me up so I was propped against the pillows. The pillows smelled like roses...Mamoru's scent that I was intoxicated with.

"What hurts?" Ami said, brushing a stray piece of hair out of my eyes.

I reached for the cup of water Mamoru set beside me and cringed from the pain in my arm. It must have been where my tiara hit me. It was wrapped up in white bandages that were soaked with dried-up blood. Mine.

Mamoru gave me another sip of water and I smiled at him. "Just my head, and my body," I said with a nervous laugh. Rei threw her hands up into the air.

"Why did you storm off like that? It's just so unlike you Usagi," Rei said, sounding almost angry.

"Lay off Rei, she just woke up. She doesn't need you yelling at her," Makoto said, putting a hand on Rei's shoulder. Rei scowled and left the room.

"Don't mind her, she just feels guilty. She'll be back," Minako said, trying to give me an encouraging smile.

I had so many questions, but I knew they would all have to wait. The door burst open, and in came my energetic daughter.

"Mom! You're such an idiot! Why did you go into battle alone? Are you stupid or something? I'm just glad you're okay!" she said, leaping onto the bed and cuddling next to me. Surprisingly, the sudden movement didn't hurt. Her warmth was comforting, just like Mamoru's.

"I'm sorry, I really am. I...I just had so much going through my head, it just exploded. I won't do it again...I promise," I said with pleading eyes. I knew they all forgave me.

Everyone left, and Chibi-Usa and I were spending the night at Mamoru's. Rei told my mom that we were staying at her temple, so she didn't suspect anything. I haven't been able to get up yet, but I'm getting stronger the more time I spend with my family. Mamoru ordered Chinese (haha) takeout. He lifted me bridal-style and carried me to his living room, where he, Chibi-Usa, and I watched TV and ate. He even bought ice cream. I bet it was because he felt guilty, no matter how much I told him that none of it was his fault.

When CHibi-Usa went to bed, we sat on his couch, my head in his lap. "Mamoru?" I said, twisting so that I could see his face.

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"What happened when I went under?"

Mamoru's body tensed beneath me, and I looked up at him, trying to judge his facial expression.

I looked back at the TV screen, annoyed by his silence. My eyes widened at what I saw.

The news was on.

"The phenomenal teen boy band that mysteriously disappeared a year ago has returned. Their manager, Jason Banks, gave us an exclusive interview this afternoon on the Three Lights' status," the news reporter said.

The screen changed to the interview with Jason Banks, who said, "I received a call this morning from Seiya Light, the lead singer of the Three Lights, apologizing for their disappearance and asking if they were still able to continue their careers in the pop culture business. I said yes, and told them that they would be having a debut concert tomorrow evening. It's all settled. It's official, the Three Lights, Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten are back."

The screen switched to a clip of Seiya singing "Search for Your Love", my favorite song. Tears filled my eyes. "It was Seiya! Those were the eyes eye saw. They were his! Mamoru, we have to go see him so I can thank him! Please!" I said, clutching Mamoru's shirt sleeve. He looked down at me with sorrow in his eyes.

"I'm sorry...but we can't," he said. I let go of his sleeve.

"Why?" I said, giving him the puppy dog eyes.

"We just can't."

I was getting frustrated with him. He was supposed to understand me, to understand that I missed Seiya and Taiki and Yaten, and I missed them a lot. Every day.

I missed hearing their hearts pour into their music. I missed hearing Seiya taunt me and watch him play football. I missed watching Ami and Taiki argue, and I missed Yaten's mysterious quiteness.

My stubborness overwhelmed me, and despite my pain I swung my legs around and stood, shakily.

"Usagi, what are you doing?" Darien said. I didn't answer him and started to walk. I made it halfway to his bedroom when the pain became too great and I collapsed. Mamoru, who was standing a few feet away in shock, rushed over to me. I buried my face in the carpet and started to cry. My shoulders heaved with the tears that were pouring out of my eyes, soaking Mamoru's carpet.

Mamoru's warm arms wrapped around me and pulled me into his lap, where I sat and buried my head in the crook of his neck, getting my salty tears all over his grey shirt. He put one hand behind my head and stroked my hair, gently shushing me. I shook with tears and clutched his shirt with my fingertips.

"Why can't I be good enough?" I sobbed.

Mamoru hugged me tightly, but gently, and said, "You are more than enough my love. Much more."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Usagi's P.O.V.

I woke up to find myself alone on Mamoru's bed. Did he make Chibi-Usa leave just so I could have the bed all to myself? The thought gave me a sick feeling. I slowly sat up and rubbed my temples. I legs ached and my head was pounding, but other than that I felt fine. Mamoru must have put a fresh bandage on my arm while I was sleeping. My mind flashed with last night's events, and I felt the heat of embarrassment. I was such a crybaby. I don't know why I am so emotional lately. I think it's because of when that monster kicked me. I have never had my dignity bruised so badly. Only girls who get beaten are kicked, not the Champion of Justice. Some champion I am. I don't even deserve to be the Princess.

I groaned in pain because my head was spinning, and the bedroom door opened. In came Chibi-Usa holding a large tray of food with Mamoru behind her. "Good morning Usagi!" Chibi-Usa said, putting the tray on my lap. I smiled warmly at her. She always knew how to cheer me up. I looked down at the tray of pancakes, eggs, and bacon exhaled a sigh of content. I was starved.

"To make up for the pancakes I ate for you the other day," Chibi-Usa said with a giggle. Mamoru sat beside me and kissed the top of my head. "Ew, gross! PDA!" Chibi-Usa said, shielding her eyes. I laughed, even though it hurt my chest.

"It's not PDA unless we're in public," Mamoru said with a chuckle. I didn't look in his eyes, for I was afraid of what I would see. Shame? Hurt? Pain? Sorrow? I thought of our argument last night, and how I sat in his lap on the floor and cried moments after. It made me angry thinking about how vulnerable I was.

"I have to head to work, but I'll be back in a couple of hours. You two behave, and call me if you need anything," Mamoru said, kissing me lightly on the cheek and ruffling Chibi-Usa's hair.

"Hey! It took me hours to do this!" Chibi-Usa said, pouting. Mamoru laughed.

"It only took you five minutes," he said over his shoulder. "Bye girls!"

He shut the door, and the two of us were left in silence.

I handed Chibi-Usa a piece of bacon and she hungrily accepted.

"Usagi?"

"Hm?"

"Why were you crying in Mamoru's lap last night?"

I froze, staring at Chibi-Usa's big, curious eyes. She saw that?

I set the try aside and pulled her into my arms.

"Oh, honey...I never meant for you to see that. Things are just...really confusing for me right now, and Mamoru was there to comfort me. I promise it won't happen again," I said, hugging her.

"I'm sorry you have to be sad," Chibi-Usa said, squeezing my hand. I felt tears well up in my eyes.

"I'm sorry you landed a crybaby for a Mom," I said, letting a tear slip. Chibi-Usa was silent, until she snapped up and crossed her arms over her chest. She scurried off of the bed and grabbed Luna P, who was sitting on the carpet beside my bed.

"Luna Ball, work your magic on Usagi!" Chibi-Usa shouted, making my head hurt. I had a strange sense of deja vu. Oh no, not this again.

The Luna Ball turned into a gun, and CHibi-Usa aimed it at my head. I squeezed my eyes shut, preparing for the impact of the suction dart. As expected, the suction dart it me square in the forehead and cracked open, revealing an akuryo taisan.

"Are you not Sailor Moon, the future Neo Queen Serenity, the Princess of the Moon? Are you not the one who saved Earth over ten times, putting your life at risk for the ones you love? Are you not the one who fights the evil forces of the Negaverse and comes out alive? You are my mom and I'm sure as heck proud to say that. My mom is a hero, and she always will be. You are an inspiration to kids like me all around the world, and it means a lot for me to be able to think, "Sailor Moon, the Champion of Justice, is my mom. Now take a second and think, should I be sorry that you're my mom?"

I pulled the dart off of my forehead and stared down at it. Chibi-Usa tilted my head back up and I smiled broadly at her. She was the perfect daughter, despite our arguments. I couldn't have asked for anyone better.

"That's better," she said with a smile. "Are you going to eat the rest of those?" Chibi-Usa said, pointing to the two pancakes I had left. I shook my head and laughed as she leaped over me and started gobbling them down. She was a perfect reflection of me, but she could cook and I burn water.

We sat in Mamoru's bedroom for an hour talking about what's been going on with the Sailor Scouts and if there have been any other threats.

"I overheard the girls talking about how they think the monster hasn't come back because Mamoru's been keeping such a close eye on you. Hotaru says the monster only wants you, nothing else. I've been doing a lot of snooping lately. Did you hear the Three Lights are back? Seiya's been looking for you at school. I mean, how would I know? I haven't been skipping class to see him or anything..."

As much as I knew I should scold my daughter, I was grateful for the information. I almost forgot about the Three Lights. "Chib-Usa, can you do me huge favor?" I asked, sitting up straighter. She narrowed her eyes at me. She knew I was up to something.

"Can you help me walk? I need to see Seiya. You know where they live right?" I asked, giving her my puppy dog eyes. She bit her lip.

"I don't know Usagi, Mamoru told me he knew you would try and go somewhere, and I promised not to let you...I don't like breaking promises," Chibi-Usa said. I could tell she was wavering on which decision she was supposed to make. I decided I was going have to go on full Mom-Mode.

"Chibi-Usa, I am your mother and I demand you take me to Seiya's right this instant," I said, giving her a stern look. She looked at me, and I couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Please?" I said, flashing a hopeful smile. She giggled and nodded, hopping off of the bed. She took my hand and gently pulled me off of the bed. My legs were much stronger, and it didn't hurt as much as it did last night.

"I can't go out like this!" I said, realizing all I was wearing was one of Mamoru's t-shirts. I started to blush and Reni stuck out her tongue.

"Good thing Ami dropped off some of your clothes, huh?" Chibi-Usa said, reaching into Mamoru's closet. She pulled out a pair of khaki capris and a coral camisole. My face fell when I realized that the camisole wouldn't cover up my cuts and bruises, but it would have to do. Chibi-Usa helped me put them on and she put my tennis shoes on for me. I was so grateful to her.

"Make sure I give you some candy whenever you go back to the future," I said with a wink. She giggled and held onto my hand as we slowly walked out of Mamoru's apartment. "We only have about an hour until he gets off work, so we'd better hurry," I said. The more we walked, the faster I became. I was getting the hang of walking with a limp.

"We're almost there," Chibi-Usa said. I realized we were in Hotaru's part of Tokyo, which meant Seiya lived in this area. "They really live that close?" I said, shocked. Chibi-Usa nodded and bit her lip.

"Hotaru gets angry whenever she sees them, but she never says anything. She doesn't want to make a bad example for me, even though she's not that much older," CHibi-Usa said with a pout. I laughed and walked a little faster. My toe caught on a crack in the sidewalk, and I flew forward. Chibi-Usa pulled my arm back, helping me catch my balance. "Thanks," I said, relieved.

"You've gotten stronger," I said, looking down at her skeptically.

She smiled and flexed the arm that wasn't being clutched by mine. "I've been training with Makoto," she said proudly. I nodded and realized we were finally at Seiya's apartment complex.

Chibi-Usa was patient with me as we slowly climbed the stairs to Seiya's apartment, and she pretended not to notice how slow I was going. "I've been seeing Helios a lot in my dreams lately," Reni said sadly. I looked down at her to see wetness in her eyes. Poor kid.

Helios was her first love. They met when he was a pegasus, and he hid in Chibi-Usa's dreams to be protected from the Dead Moon Circus. He fell in love with her, and she him. Reni saved his life, and they have been madly in love ever since. Mamoru has strict rules for Helios though, for it is Helios's job to watch over everyone's dreams and keep out the darkness. But he still visits Chibi-Usa in her dreams. Part of me wonders if Mamoru is so strict with Helios because he doesn't want Chibi-Usa to have a boyfriend, or if it's just because the dreams need to be protected. Probably a little bit of both.

"You'll see him soon. If you two are meant to be together, you'll find some way to be together again. All it takes is patience and hope," I said, trying to comfort her with words that were said to me by Luna.

We arrived at the door to Seiya's apartment after the ascension of lots of stairs. I took a deep breath, and Chibi-Usa squeezed my hand for encouragement. I rapped lightly on the door, and in a few seconds it swung open. There stood Seiya in nothing but a pair of yoga pants. I smiled broadly and waved.

"Odango!" he said, pulling me into a tight hug. I giggled despite the small amount of pain.

"It's nice to see you again Seiya," I said. He smiled at me and knelt down so he was eye-to-eye with CHibi-Usa.

"This must be Chibi-Usa," he said, holding out his hand. Chibi-Usa took it and shook, smiling nervously.

"Come in," Seiya said, holding the door wider for us. Chibi-Usa held my hand, and I could feel Seiya's eyes on me as I limped towards his couch. Everything was the same.

"Where's Taiki and Yaten?" I asked, looking around. Chibi-Usa sat only my left and Seiya sat across the room in a chair.

"Interviews," he said, rolling his eyes. There was silence for a few seconds. "Are you alright?" Seiya asked, looking at me with worry. I half-smiled. He was always worrying about me, just like Mamoru.

"That's not important. Were you the one who saved my life?" I asked. I could feel Chibi-Usa's eyes burning my skin as she stared at me, shocked. Poor Chibi-Usa, probably doesn't even know what happened. I'll have to tell her later, I owe her that much.

Seiya pursed his lips together and nodded. "We were sent back here by our Princess, who said she dreamed of dark forces from a solar system far beyond ours. I don't know how, but we arrived at the exact same spot where you were being attacked. We stood above, watching for a while, and-" I held my hand up, stopping him. "Wait...you-you stood there as I was being attacked and kicked like a voodoo doll? You...you just...stood?" I felt the anger shaking my voice. My hands were trembling violently, no matter how hard Chibi-Usa squeezed. Seiya realized he said the wrong thing, and was scrambling for something to say.

"Well, we uh, we wanted to see if you had gotten any better...if you could handle yourself...like you did with Galaxia," Seiya said. Oh, he should not have said that.

"Are you kidding me? I had help from all of you when we fought Galaxia, and it is obvious this enemy is much stronger if it came from a solar system outside of yours! Are you stupid? Am I spreading my stupidity around? This is insane! I almost died, and you chose to wait until after my dignity had been kicked out of me, every last tear had been shed, and all of the hope I had left was gone to save me. How could you? Are you satisfied seeing me like this? Are you satisfied that I chose to walk who knows how many blocks with countless injuries despite my love's wishes to see you? And to think I was going to thank you! I forced my daughter to break a promise so I could see you, and I come to learn this? How could you do that to me? How could you stand watching me get beaten? I thought we were friends..." I said, out of breath. A few tears slipped out of my eyes, and I furiously wiped them away.

I could see the apologetic look in Seiya's eyes, but it wasn't going to work. But then his apologetic eyes turned to ones of anger.

"I saved your life! Be grateful I even stepped in at all!" I knew right after he said it, he regretted it.

"So that's what it's come to?" I said, my voice shaking both with rage and hurt.

"Usagi, please...I didn't mean it like that," Seiya said, standing. I stood quickly, almost losing my balance but Chibi-Usa placed a small hand on the middle of my back.

"I don't know if I'll ever be able to fight again after that Seiya..." I whispered.

"Don't talk like that!" he said, his voice getting louder. I looked up at him, seeing a mixture of anger, sorrow, and guilt in Seiya's navy blue eyes.

I looked at the clock that was on the table beside me and my eyes widened. Mamoru will be home in ten minutes.

"Chibi-Usa," I said. She immediately understood. We both started walking towards the door. "Thank you for your time," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Usagi wait, I-" Seiya was cut off by the shutting of the door as CHibi-Usa and I left.

"Stop," Chibi-Usa said. She let go of my hand, opened up Seiya's door again, and in a split second the door was shut and she took my hand. "What did you do?" I said, walking as fast as I could towards Mamoru's.

"Stuck my tongue out at him," Chibi-Usa said with a giggle. I laughed, and I don't know why but I laughed even harder. Thinking of my small, ignorant daughter sticking her tongue out at a pop star was just, amusing to me. I started laughing so hard, Chibi-Usa had to sit me down on a bench because I was shaking.

"Usagi, calm down. You're shaking too much," she said, tracing her fingers down my jawline. I wasn't laughing anymore, I was crying. I took a deep breath and stood again.

"Come on Chibi-Usa," I said, pulling her with me. I could just feel her confusion as we got closer and closer to Mamoru's. My legs were getting weaker, but I still pushed further. We were almost there.

I looked frantically for Mamoru's red sports car, and it was no where to be found. "Almost there," I breathed. Chibi-Usa looked up at me, fear in her eyes. "Are you going to make it?" she said, her voice shaking. I nodded grimly, feeling my heart beating faster and harder with each step. We started to climb the small staircase, only a few steps away. She frantically fumbled with the keys, trying to open the door.

She finally got it open and I took a shaky step into his apartment. The smell of roses filled my nose, and it felt like I was home. But then my stomach lurched.

I went as fast as I could to Mamoru's bathroom, slamming the door behind me and leaning over the toilet. My breakfast left my stomach in a heartbeat, and it left a sick, acidic taste in my mouth. I leaned back against the wall, feeling weak and defeated. I pushed my hair out of my eyes and rested my cold hands on my forehead. I shakily stood and flushed the toilet and started to rinse my mouth out. I noticed my toothbrush sitting right next to the sink, so I brushed my teeth to get out the bad taste. My legs and arms were shaking violently. It was a bad idea to go to Seiya's, I know that now. Guilt was eating me up. I felt bad for disobeying Mamoru and making Chibi-Usa break her promise. I heard the front door open and close, and words passed between Chibi-Usa andMamoru. I leaned over and put my head on the countertop, preparing for my lecture.

Mamoru rapped on the bathroom door, gently, and said, "Usagi? Usagi are you all right?" I stood up straight and fixed my hair making sure I looked admirable. I opened the door and smiled at him.

"I'm great! How was work?" I said, doing my best fake smile. I knew Mamoru didn't believe me. Chibi-Usa stood off to the side, her face flushed.

"It was fine. Why are you so pale, and why are you shaking? Why are you even walking, for that matter?"

He worried too much.

"It's cold in here, and I'm always this pale. I had to go to the bathroom, and Chibi-Usa helped me. You didn't want me to pee all over your sheets, did you?" I said with a smirk. He rolled his eyes and gently wrapped one arm around me, providing support for me to get to the couch. He sat next to me and looked me in the eyes. His eyes searched mine, and I knew he knew what had happened today.

"Why must you push yourself so hard Usagi? Give yourself a small break. For me." Mamoru said.

The sadness in his eyes broke my heart.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Mamoru's P.O.V.

After I came home and saw Chibi-Usa's face, I knew exactly what happened. She's not very good at keeping secrets, or promises apparently. But then again, I left her here with Usagi, so who knows what she was bribed with.

I didn't understand the things that were going through my head. Why would they disobey me, especially after all that's been happening? What did Seiya tell them? How has Usagi been getting sick? I didn't have time to ask questions, so I knocked on the door to my bathroom. Silence.

Usagi opened the door and smiled, trying to hide the fact that her face was deathly pale and she was shaking uncontrollably.

It is almost impossible to hide anything from me. I know both of my girls so well that I would know they were lying before they even opened their mouths.

I sent Chibi-Usa back to Usagi's to tell her mom that Usagi is studying with Ami, and she would call her when she could. Chubi-Usa agreed, wanting desperately to get out of my home before I could scold her. Usagi sat on my couch fidgeting. I looked over at the clock, it was only 2. Lethargy pulled at my eyelids, so I decided to make some coffee for the both of us.

"Mamoru?" Usagi said, poking her head above the couch. I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Um, why didn't you want me going to Seiya's?" Usagi asked, a stony look in her eyes. I couldn't tell if she was afraid of my answer, or if she just desperately wanted to know. I sighed and walked over to the couch where she was sitting.

"I didn't want to risk you going out there on your own," I said. Lie.

"Mamoru, we must be honest with each other," Usagi said, taking my hand in hers. I rubbed my thumb across her knuckles, biting my lip. The real reason was embarrassing, and I was afraid she would get angry with me if I told her.

But I knew she wouldn't give up. This is Usagi for crying out loud.

"I...I didn't want to risk losing you to him..." I said sadly. Her mouth dropped open in shock. My face turned red with shame and embarrassment. I can't believe I could be so selfish, but we've both lost each other enough times already. I can't bear with losing her, after everything we've been through.

I waited for her to start crying, or yell at me, or storm off, but she didn't. Instead, she jumped up and wrapped her arms around my neck. I wrapped my arms around her in surprise, supporting her. She buried her face in my neck, and I could smell her vanilla shampoo.

"Mamoru, I made you a promise the other day that I would never let anything come between us, and that I would always love you to infinity and beyond, do you remember that?" she said into my neck. I chuckled, remembering our little game we always played when we had to say good-bye to each other.

"I remember," I said. She pulled away and looked me in the eyes. I was locked on her cerulean gaze, unable to look away from the beauty who was mine.

"Good."

I smiled and kissed her gently on the lips, a kiss that said, "I love you, and I always will." The coffee machine started beeping, alerting me that my coffee was ready. "Want some?" I said with a laugh. She giggled and nodded. I could tell she was tired too. She was always tired.

I brought over her coffee and we sat on the couch together, her head in my lap as we watched her favorite cartoons. She was such a kid sometimes, but that's one of the many things I love about her. She doesn't care about what anyone else thinks.

The coffee didn't help much, because soon we both started to drift off into the land of our dreams.

Chibi-Usa's P.O.V.

I quickly left Mamoru's place, afraid of my punishment for breaking his promise. It killed me having to break it, but I wanted to make Usagi happy. I'm never going to forget the image of her crying last night. Sure, I've seen her cry plenty of times, but not like that.

I walked quickly down to Usagi's and came in the door, immediately taking in the smell of strawberry shortcake. Her mom must be making some more. I smiled contentedly and walked into the kitchen.

"Hi!" I said cheerfully. Usagi's mom turned around and smiled warmly, a smile that I missed getting from my mother in the future. I haven't seen her in forever.

"Hello dear. I just took out some shortcake, would you like some?" she said, holding out a plate. My hunger wouldn't let me resist, so I nodded and thanked her.

"Where's Usagi? She always comes running at the smell of shortcake," Her mom said. I cringed, feeling bad again. I was kind of hoping to avoid the subject until I finished my shortcake.

"She's, uh, at Ami's studying for an exam coming up. She said if they don't get done before dark, then she's going to go ahead and spend the night," I said quietly. I'm not a very good liar.

Usagi's mom's face fell, and I felt guilty for lying to her. "Oh, alright then...well, at least she's working harder at school," she said. I nodded and looked down at my plate, suddenly losing my appetite. I forced myself to finish the rest of the shortcake, just so Usagi's mom wouldn't feel bad.

"I can bring Usagi a piece if you'd like," I said with a smile. She nodded and handed me a plate wrapped in plastic wrap for Usagi.

"Thank you. And tell I said I miss her and love her, and to come back soon, okay?"

I nodded and left the house before I cracked and told her the truth. I knew that Mamoru would make sure to ground me when I got home. :P

I started walking back to Mamoru's when I saw familiar raven hair slip into the arcade down the street. I would be able to pick that hair out from anywhere. Rei.

I silently followed her into the arcade, slipping into a booth behind her. Rei sat across from Ami, Minako, and Makoto. I could tell by the looks on their faces that whatever they were meeting about was serious. I sank down in the seat, hiding my pink hair from thier view.

"I've been getting lots of weird vibes lately," Rei said quietly. It was hard for me to hear.

"Has Usagi gotten any better?" Makoto asked, obviously worried about her friend. I bit my lip. thinking about how much Serena pressured herself earlier.

"Minako and I were planning on going to Mamoru's later to check up on her. Poor girl, she must be so confused...and she doesn't even know about the girl..." Ami said sadly. My ears perked up at hearing this.

"It's so weird...I wonder why she appeared. Did she really drop from the sky?" Rei said, turning to Minako. Minako nodded.

"Yeah, landed right on me. It's funny because I was walking through the same clearing Serena was attacked in, trying to find some clues as to who that monster was," Minako said, shaking her head in bewilderment. I was curious as to what in the world they were talking about. Who was this girl they were talking about? The fact that he dropped out of the sky reminded me of the time when I first came here...right out of the sky...

Usagi's P.O.V.

I felt something stir beneath me, and I groggily opened my eyes. I groaned, feeling the ache return to my legs. The movement beneath me destroyed my comfortable position, which caused me to whine.

"I'm just going to go get some fresh air for a minute, I'll be right back. Okay?" Mamoru said, gently lifting my head off of his chest. I nodded and buried my head into the couch, desperately trying to replace Mamoru's warmth. He slid open the glass door that led out to the balcony, and I closed my eyes again.

A few minutes later, Mamoru slid open the glass door, rather urgently. I heard faint screams coming from outside, and my eyes snapped open. "What's going on?" I said, groggy. Darien quickly put on his shoes and headed for the door. "Nothing, don't worry about it. I'll be back soon. Please, just stay here, okay?" Mamoru said with pleading eyes. I didn't respond, just layed there on the couch, still.

I heard the door open and close, and there was complete silence. I snapped up, feeling a little dizzy, but I was going to be fine. I quickly put on my tennis shoes and headed out the door, following Mamoru from afar. Whatever was going on, I was going to find out.

I got outside, and was immediately overpowered by a mob of screaming individuals. I was pushed and shoved by panicking people, all running the opposite direction. Mamoru's black shirt disappeared within the crowd, and I knew I would have to push harder than the other people. I used all of my strength to take a step forward in the opposite direction. People hit my shoulders and pushed my back, but I kept going. The crowd started to thin, and the screams started to fade in the distance. Mamoru was gone. I'm going to guess that these people are running from a monster, and Mamoruturned into Tuxedo Mask and started leaping over roofs. Dangit.

I turned into an alleyway and pulled out my Eternal brooch and shouted, "MOON ETERNAL POWER!"

I transformed into Eternal Sailor Moon, and I felt stronger. My legs didn't ache as much, and my head didn't hurt. I landed on the ground and opened the wings that formed on my back, sailing into the air. I landed on a roof and started to run across. I followed my instincts, letting my heart lead me towards Darien. I leaped across an office building, landing on top of a bakery. I heard commotion coming from down the street, so I leaped off of the roof, landing shakily on my feet.

"Gosh, I haven't done that in a while," I said, winded. I started running down the street, towards the battle that was taking place. I needed to make an entrance, so I jumped back on the roof and leaped across once more, landing on an abandoned warehouse. I peered over the edge to see all of my friends as Sailor Scouts fighting a lion-like enemy. It was golden with evil red eyes, and razor sharp claws. I gulped. The last time I faced a monster like this, it defeated me. Tuxedo Mask saved me, but even he couldn't stop it. The strange thing was, the lion was created using the power of the stars...

I watched in horror as it clawed at Makoto, and thankfully she dove out of the way. Mamoru, now as Tuxedo Mask, threw a line if roses at the lion. The petals landed right in the lion's eyes, and it roared in fury as it pawed at its face.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Sailor Mercury shouted, forming a water-based harp. Water flew out of the harp, attacking the lion at jet-speed. The only thing that did was wash away the rose petals, leaving a very wet and very angry lion. It leaped into the air and disappeared from sight, leaving the scouts confused.

"Where did the stupid fleabag go?" Mars said, enraged. Suddenly, it appeared behind her. She spun around and screamed as the lion scratched her back. She fell to the ground, and I knew it was time to step in.

"How dare you threaten the lives of girls who are trying to maintain peace and prosperity on this beautiful planet? Pretty soldier in a sailor suit Sailor Moon! And in the name of the moon, I'll punish you!" I leaped off of the roof, landing smoothly next to Rei and helped her up, quickly getting away from the lion. The blood from the scratch got on my gloves, and I cringed, thinking of my last battle. I can do this.

They all stared at me in shock, but I shook it off, turning to the lion. I can do this. The lion gave out a fierce roar as it darted towards us. We all leaped in different directions, leaving the lion frazzled and confused.

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" Venus shouted, aiming a string of razor sharp hearts at the lion. The lion demolished them all with a swipe of his tail, and I gulped. Something didn't feel right...

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

As before, the attack had no effect. We were getting tired of dodging attacks, and the fact that we couldn't land a hit was frustrating. Mars was weakening every second, so Tuxedo Mask said, "Sailor Moon, take Sailor Mars and put her somewhere safe!" I glared at him, knowing he was just trying to keep me out of the fight, but nodded and let Rei put her weight on me. I trembled under her weight, still a little weak, but persister through. I dragged her into the warehouse and set her down on an old, musty-smelling chair that was left behind. She groaned and put her head back.

"Stay here, we'll come for you as soon as it's over," I said gently, running back outside. Now Mercury was down with what looked like a dislocated shoulder. I felt tears fill my eyes at the sight of my injured friend. "I guess the only way to beat this thing is with physical force!" Jupiter said, charging. She started to throw punches, and when the lion tried to swat at her, she leaped into the air and spun, landing a hard kick on the lion's muzzle. It roared and spun, slamming Jupiter in mid-landing with it's thick body. She was flung back towards the warehouse, her body smashing through the glass window. My mouth dropped open."Jupiter!" I screamed. This monster was strong.

Venus was attending Mercury when she started to scream in pain. The lion was no where near her, but it was staring at her intently. She writhed in pain, her body shaking violently.

"Leave her alone!" I shrieked, tears falling down my cheeks. The lion's gaze tore away from her, and she was breathing heavily, motionless. It licked its lips hungrily as it stared at me.

Now it was only me and Tuxedo Mask.

"Sailor Moon, run!" he yelled, fear in his voice. I looked back from him to the lion, not knowing what to do. I had to stay and fight, I couldn't just leave him here. And there was no way I could outrun the lion in my condition.

"You go! Find Seiya!" I yelled back. He could help us. Tuxedo Mask shook his head vigorously. The lion, obviously tired of hearing us yell at each other, started to bend down, as if it was going to pounce. I drew back in disgust.

It started sprinting towards me, and I screamed. I couldn't jump out of the way, I wouldn't be fast enough.

Just in time, Tuxedo Mask dove towards me, grabbing me by the waist and pushing me sideways. We both landed a few yards away from the lion, who was angry he didn't make his mark. I yelled out in pain, for I landed on my now unwrapped arm. The stitches I'm guessing Amy put in them had ripped, and it was bleeding again.

We pulled each other up and held onto each other as we regained our balance. Tuxedo Mask threw a rose and it shocked the lion, who started to rub its face in the dirt. I took out my Eternal Tiel and shouted, "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"

The waves of energy from the tiel hit the lion, but nothing happened. I stood there, shocked. Tuxedo Mask's mouth dropped open. It darted towards us again, and we were forced to leap in separate directions. I rolled and stood up again, shakily. I was shutting down. No, I can do this.

Tuxedo Mask yelled in pain, and I saw he rolled his ankle when he leaped. I gasped, as the lion turned towards me once more, licking it's disgusting lips. Tuxedo Mask was incapable of getting up, and I knew I was on my own. I braced myself for impact as the lion ran towards me. It's heavy claws hit my shoulders and I was pushed to the ground, the lion on top of me. Its claws dug into my skin and I bit my lip hard, desperately trying not to scream.

The lion roared loudly, causing me to feel like my head was splitting open.

The lion opened it's huge mouth and leaned towards me. I could feel the heat of its breath hitting my face.

"USAGI!" Mamoruyelled. I managed to turn my head and look at him for what I thought was the last time.

"MOMMY!" I heard an unfamiliar voice yell. I expected the person to be Chibi-Usa, but the voice was more high-pitched.

"Ch...Chibi-Usa?" I said shakily, turning my head the other way. Suddenly a beam of light soared towards me at lightning speed, hitting the lion. It flew backwards and landed with a huge thud, a large smoking hole formed in the middle of its body. I was struggling to catch my breath as I tried to process what just happened. The lion faded away, leaving just black smoke rising into the atmosphere.

I slowly sat up, breathing rapidly. Oh my God.

A little girl with long, wavy black hair that reached her butt ran up to me. Her eyes were cerulean, the color of mine. She looked familiar to me, but I just couldn't think of who she reminded me of. Her eyes were filled with worry as she approached me. "Mommy, are you okay?" she said, taking my hands in her tiny ones. She looked to be about six, but she seemed mature for her age. The strange thing was her attire. She was wearing an ankle-length white dress, that resembled Reni's when she was in her princess form...

"W-who are you?" I said, slowly standing up. The little girl looked at me like I was crazy and said, "I'm Kaliya, you're daughter! Don't you know me?" she said, as if I was the crazy one. I stared at her in disbelief. I only had one daughter.

I started remembeing Mamoru and the other scouts. I started jogging towards Mamoru, who was sitting on the ground in shock. "What-what just happened?" he said, blinking in disbelief. I shook my head and kneeled next to him. I cupped his face in my hands and kissed him, grateful that he was alive. He placed one hand behind my neck and pulled away. "Why did you come? You almost died," he said, looking at my shoulders. I rolled my eyes and crawled over to his ankle, which was now swollen and purple. I gasped at the sight of it.

"It may be broken..." I said quietly. The little girl approached us and put her hand on Mamoru's ankle, causing him to wince. A white light surrounded her hand, and the swelling in Darien's ankle started to die down and it returned to its original color. He started moving it in circles, checking its mobility.

"There you go, mister!" the girl said. Darien stared at her in shock.

"How did you do that?" he said, starting to stand. He held out his hand for me and pulled me up, pulling me into his embrace. I hugged him tightly and pulled away.

"It's a gift I guess," the girl said, embarrassed.

"We'd better go check on the scouts," I said, pulling Mamoru with me.

"Wait," he said, gently grabbing my arm.

"What's wrong?" I said, staring at him questioningly.

He gently pulled the girl over and she touched my shoulders. I winced, but realized that she was healing me as well.

"Come on," I said, picking her up and carrying her into the warehouse. Rei and Makoto were both passed out, so the girl attended to them too. Her powers were amazing. They slightly reminded me of Hotaru's powers.

She attended to Ami and Minako next, and soon everyone was good as new and standing together.

"We didn't want to tell you..."

"We wanted you to get better first."

"And we're still trying to figure things out too."

"Please don't be upset."

The girls all started talking at once, causing my head to spin.

"Woah, what's going on?" I said, my temper rising. Mamoru put a hand on my shoulder, calming me.

The little girl, who reminded me again that her name was Kaliya, wrapped her frail little arms around my leg. I looked down at her and she smiled at me. Her smile reminded me of someone...

"Why don't we go over to the arcade? We can talk about this there, once we all get some rest. Tomorrow?" Ami said, always the reasonable one. I sighed and nodded.

"What about the kid? Where are her parents?" I said. Kaliya began to giggle, for a reason I'm unsure of.

"She's uh...my cousin. She's staying with me," Rei said, pulling Kaliya off of me. She pouted, but stayed silent. This was all too weird.

That night, I called my mother and said I was staying at Makoto's, because she was teaching me a new recipe for home ec. What she didn't know was I haven't been to school all week, and I have been lying to her too. I felt terrible lying to my mother, who does nothing but try to make me happy, but I was keeping her safe.

Mamoru and I arrived back at his apartment, where Chibi-Usa was waiting on the couch.

"Chibi-Usa, how long have you been here?" I said, exhaustion tearing at my voice. Chibi-Usa shrugged.

"About an hour," she said. "But boy do I have lots to tell you!" she said. She finally noticed our tired demeanor and back down a little bit as Mamoru and I flopped down on the couch.

"Go on, tell us," I said, struggling to keep my eyes open.

"So...I was walking back here from your house, when I noticed the girls going into the arcade. I followed them and listened in on their conversation. They talked about you and how you were doing, then I heard Ami start talking about how you 'don't even know about the girl.' I never figured out who the girl was, because people started screaming and running outside. I wanted to go out and see what was going on, but Andrew caught me as I was going out the door and kept me inside, keeping me safe from whatever was out there. I'm guessing it was a monster, and you two fought it and won, right?"

She looked at us with pride in her eyes. I didn't have the heart to tell her that we were really saved by a six year old girl, so I just smiled and said, "We sure did! Moon-dusted," I said with a fake laugh. Chibi-Usa smiled at me and hugged the two of us. Mamoru was stone-still, not moving or speaking. I was going to get it...

"Melissa called, and I told her I could spend the night at her house. Can I pleaseeeee?" Chibi-Usa said, grabbing my shirt. I removed her hands and nodded. "Be back at my house before two tomorrow," I said, kissing her on the cheek. She squealed and ran out the door happily, saying good-bye as she went. I sighed at the limitless energy of my daughter and leaned back on the couch. I felt Mamoru move beside me, and I opened my formerly closd eyes.

"Mamoru?" I said, leaning forward and placing a hand on his back. He looked at me, betrayal in his eyes.

"Why didn't you stay here? I told you to stay, and yet you disobeyed me, again. You almost died out there Usagi. Those monsters are after you, not me, not the scouts, you. Do you have any idea how bad I would feel if I lost you? I would never be able to live with myself. I can't risk losing you to whatever that thing was, no matter what happens to me. It's my duty to protect and love you. You are the Princess and if you die, so does everyone else. I can't bear to see you die before my eyes like you almost did today."

I sat there, stunned. I was at a loss for words.

"I don't deserve you. I've hurt you too many times to count, and it haunts me every day. You are all I have. You're my family Serena, and I will not let my family get hurt," he said. He refused to look at me. My eyes started to fill, but I blinked the tears back.

"Mamoru, what happened in the past happened for good reason. I don't care about how many times you hurt me, because you only did it to protect me. But Mamoru...you're my family too. I can't let you go off into battle like that without me. There is no way I can just sit by and relax as you go out and fight monsters. Who knows what will happen? I love you, and I can't let you go out and risk your life for me. We need to start working together. We do best that way," I said, taking his hand. He sighed, and finally looked me in the eyes. There were dark circles beneath his eyes, and I assumed mine were the same.

"We both need rest. It's been a long day," I said gently. He stood, and I followed as he walked to his bedroom and opened the door. It was only 6 a.m., but I was beat and ready to sleep forever. I went into his bathroom and changed into a light pink camisole and pink pajama pants with bunnies on them, my favorite. I let my hair down so it hung loosely down my back and shoulders. I was right, there were dark circles beneath my eyes.

I went back into the room, where Mamoru was taking off his shirt. I blushed and looked down, trying to hide the awkwardness. His chest was perfectly toned, and I could easily make out the muscles on his arms. I slid into the bed, Darien shortly following.

He caught my eyes and said, "You're so beautiful." I blushed and scooted closer to him, letting him encase me in his warm arms.

"Sweet dreams my Princess," he said into my hair. I smiled to myself at his regal tone of voice. It was a secret joke we had, because we were both royalty in our alter egos.

"And to you, my Prince."


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Ami's P.O.V.

I took the young girl home with me that night. She stared at me as we walked down the street towards my house. My mother wouldn't be home. She was on call all night. Everything was slowly starting to crash down on the scouts and me. We never wanted Usagi to meet the child.

It was obvious that Usagi was her mother...she'd already given that away. Usagi of course, didn't realize that the child was being serious.

That night after I put her to bed (I would be sleeping in my mother's room), my Mercury Computer started to beep. I picked it up and went downstairs where I would be alone.

I opened the computer to reveal Sailor Pluto's face on the screen. She smiled half-heartedly once she saw my face, and I returned the gesture. We both weren't in the best of moods.

"Ami, I'm assuming you've met the child," she said with a sigh. I nodded curtly. Yes, I've definitely met her.

"Why is she here? Is she Mamoru's? What's going on?" I said, starting to explode. I'm not normally one to ask questions, but tonight was an exception. This was not supposed to happen, I could feel it.

Pluto sighed and placed a hand on her forehead, pushing her bangs back. I could tell it had been a long week for her.

"The girl is Neo Queen Serenity's daughter, but King Endymione is not the father," Pluto said.

I gasped in shock, even though a part of me knew that Mamoruwas not the father. Just hearing the confirmation of it shocked me.

"Who is?" I asked eagerly.

Setsuna shook her head sadly.

"I cannot reveal too much of the future to you, but I can say this: She is not supposed to be born. Ever since...he came back...things have changed. Mercury, you must prevent her from being born. She is an adorable, incredibly sweet child, but her being born was not by destiny, or fate. It was a mistake, and it is up to you to prevent it from happening. She is a mistake."

I stared at the computer screen, trying to process Pluto's words. "She's a...mistake? How is that possible? Usagiwould never make a silly decision when it comes to whom she loves and her children. What about Chibi-Usa? Oh gosh, is Chibi-Usa okay?" I started to panic at the though of Reni. If this child was Serena's future daughter, then what happened to Chibi-Usa?

Setsuna's eyes started to fill with tears. This was so unlike her. She was always very cool and collected.

"Small Lady is...no longer with us in the future. That is why you must prevent Kaliya from being born," Pluto said. I rolled my eyes, immediately realizing the problem with Pluto's request.

"How can I do that if I don't know who the father is? I have no way of preventing her birth!" I said, agitated with Pluto's mysteriousness.

"Make sure Usagi and Mamoru's love is strong. They are beginning to lose each other in the world of honesty and trust. And keep that child away from the two of them as much as you can. Please Mercury, I'm counting on you. Once I am permitted to give you more information, I will. But for now, that's all I may reveal. I am sorry. Goodnight." Pluto's face disappeared from the screen, leaving me there to ponder on my current predicament.

I plopped down on the couch and rested my chin in my hands. Keep her away from Usagi and Mamoru? Yeah, too late. Usagi already saw the girl, and I'm not going to hear the end of it. I'll have to come up with something. As for their love, has something happened that I'm unaware of? I'll have to talk to Usagi in the morning and sort things out. Pluto may not be very well at explaining herself, but she is good at getting her message across. I know that once Pluto gives out instructions, the only good thing to do is follow them. So follow them I will.

A/N: Yes I changed the child's name from Layla to Kaliya.

Haruka's P.O.V.

Michiru and I knew that the Scouts were fighting a monster, but we couldn't interfere yet. Michiru and I came from the future, so we already knew about Kaliya and why she was there. In fact, we followed her to make sure she didn't stir up any trouble. She was under our care until Serena was almost killed by the lion, and that's when we sent her out to destroy it. Kaliya is powerful, almost more powerful than Saturn. She will be one day, if she ends up being born. But that can't happen. Despite my deep affection for the child, I can't let Usagi give birth to her.

Michiru and I stood next to a railing that overlooked a beach. The waves crashed against the shore and the winds made out hair fly to the side. I looked over a Michelle and admired how beautiful she looked in the sunset. She looks beautiful all of the time.

She looked over at me, worry flooding her sea-green eyes.

"The seas are roaring Haruka," she said gently.

I looked up at the sky, feeling the darkness in the air.

"The winds are crashing Michiru," I replied.

She took my hand and we stared out at the vast ocean before us.

"Should we go get the girl?" Michiru said, squeezing my hand lightly. I shook my head. The girl would be safe with Ami.

"I'm sure Setsuna has contacted Ami and filled her in. We have business to take care of," I said, thinking of our mission.

"Oh Haruka, can't we take care of it tomorrow? It's such a peaceful night, I'd hate to ruin it by getting into trouble with him..." Michiru said with pleading eyes.

"Michiru..."

"Pleaseeee?"

I sighed in defeat. I just couldn't refuse Michiru's wishes. We walked back to our apartment that we owned back when Galaxia was evil, hand-in-hand.

"Tomorrow is when it begins Michiru, whether we like it or not," I said gently.

Michiru sighed. "I know."

Usagi's P.O.V.

I was running through the empty corridors of a palace. Screams and crashes could be heard all around me, but I knew they were from outside the palace walls. My head was pounding and my legs were burning with all of the running I was doing. I was dressed as Neo Queen Serenity, my white gown flailing behind me as I ran. I finally entered a large observatory where I could overlook everything that was happening outside and inside of the palace.

White marble pillars were crashing to the ground outside, crushing the bodies of both enemies and innocent people beneath them. Both monsters and humans fought in what was now a battlefield. Why was this happening? I thought the future was supposed to be a peaceful place, where we lived in prosperity and pure serenity (haha, see what I did there? That was bad, I know -_-).

I watched in horror as the Sailor Scouts blasted attacks back and forth, becoming more tired with each one. We were falling back. It was only a matter of time until the monsters broke into the palace.

I heard footsteps behind me and I spun around. A familiar figure held the girl from this afternoon in it's arms, almost in a chokehold. I gasped at the sight of her bright red face as she was being suffocated.

"Let her go!" I screamed, tears spilling out of my eyes. I didn't know why, but I was feeling close to the girl, as if we were family. The familiar figure laughed evilly, and I knew exactly who it was. It was my attacker from a few days ago.

Another familiar figure ran into the room, but his face was in shadow. I desperately tried to make out their shape, but I was unable to do so. They tried attacking the monster, but it just simply blew off its cannon, creating a huge hole in the man's body. The man fell to the ground, instantly dead. I screamed in horror at what I just saw. The monster then aimed the cannon at me, and I felt a sense of deja vu. And the cannon went off.

I shot upwards, sweat covering my body, causing my golden hair to stick to my face and neck. I was breathing heavily, still recalling the images of my dream. I clutched my chest, trying to stop the shaking before Mamoru woke up. I was trembling uncontrollably, my body heaving with silent sobs. Why couldn't I just be happy for once?

Mamoru's eyes snapped open and he shot up. "Serena, what's wrong? Why are you trembling?" he said, lifting my chin up.

"J-just a bad dream. I'm alright," I said with a fake smile. He didn't buy it, for he pulled me into his arms. I melted in his embrace, letting the tears fall freely now. I didn't care about being a crybaby anymore.

"Oh Mamoru, it was terrible! Crystal Tokyo was being attacked, and the same monster who attacked me the other day was there. He killed someone right before my eyes, and he was about to kill me...and that girl, Kaliya. It was so awful," I said. He wrapped his other arm around me and stroked my damp hair.

"It's alright, it was just a dream. It's all over now, that monster is gone and he will never hurt you as long as I'm around, alright?" Mamoru said softly. I looked into his eyes and smiled. He was so wonderful.

"Alright," I said. He leaned back, still holding me in his arms. He kissed the top of my head and I closed my eyes. The dream was over, gone, done. I sniffled and wiped the remaining tears off of my cheeks.

"You know, you're mother would be so proud of you if she were still alive," Mamoru said. I knew he was referring to my birth mother, Queen Serenity.

I awoke the next morning before Mamoru, and this time I didn't have any nightmares. It was actually an amazing dream, but I think I'll just keep that one to myself if you don't mind ;).

I got up and went to the bathroom to take a shower, to get all of the sweat from the previous night off of me. I had school again today, and I knew I should probably go. There was probably a ton of makeup work for me.

I stripped down and jumped into the warm shower, letting the water trickle down my face and back. It felt peaceful being in a silent room for once with nothing to worry about and no one to scold me. I smiled to myself and unconsciously started to hum.

I washed my incredibly long hair with vanilla shampoo and scrubbed my body with strawberries & cream body wash before getting out and drying off. I wrapped myself up in a towel and went out into Mamoru's room to get my school uniform. Darien wasn't in the bed anymore, so I assumed he was in the kitchen getting coffee.

I went back into the bathroom and changed into my uniform. For once, I didn't want to style my hair with the same usual "odangos". It took forever, but I finally managed to get it in a high ponytail, then wrap it around until it was in a cool spiral-looking bun at the top of my head. I looked pretty yet sophisticated, and it went well with my uniform. I smiled to myself as a few stray curls fell beside my face, making me look graceful. Standing there in front of the mirror, I actually felt like I looked like a princess.

I walked out of the bathroom and out to the kitchen where Darien was leaning against the counter, shirtless. He was taking a drink of his coffee when he saw me, and he literally dropped his coffee cup. It feel to the floor with a crash as it shattered and coffee spilt everywhere. His mouth hung open, causing me to giggle and blush.

"You look...I mean...you look...wow," Mamoru said, struggling for words. I blushed a deeper shade of red as I walked over to help him clean up his mess.

"It's not that big of a deal, girls change up their hairstyles all of the time," I said, trying to act like this was a normal thing.

"But now I can't call you Dumplinghair!" he said with a pouty face. I glared at him and he just chuckled as we picked up the last of the glass.

"Ah, dangit," Mamoru said. I looked up in surprise to see his hand bleeding.

"That's why you don't play with roses," I said teasingly as we both stood. I went over to a cupboard and pulled out some gauze and medical tape. Despite his usual protest whenever I tried to help him out, I took his hand and ran it under water to wash off the blood before wrapping it up and taping it.

"There, good as new," I said with a smile. He rolled his eyes at me.

"You didn't have to do that," he said.

I scoffed. "Are you kidding me? After all you've done for me this week, that's nothing. As a matter of fact, I'm taking you out to dinner tonight, on me. No ifs, ands, or buts," I said with a smirk.

I actually hadn't planned on taking him out for dinner, but it just popped up in my head and I thought it was a good idea.

He tried to protest, saying that taking me out for dinner was his job, but I just shushed him and gently kissed him on the lips before leaving for school. I was late, which meant I would be running the half-mile to Crossroads High School. Just like old times.

I ran past kids walking to their bus stops and stray animals begging people for food. Street signs and cars whizzed past me as I darted down the street. I had become a very skilled runner in during the past few years, and I wasn't even out of breath until I got to the school. Thankfully, the tardy bell hadn't rang yet. I quickly slid into my seat, just as the bell rang and Miss Haruna gave me a strange look. Yes, ever since Junior High, Miss Haruna has been my teacher. Crazy, right?

I could feel Ami, Makoto, and Naru's eyes on me as I stared ahead, trying to pay attention. Ever since Galaxia, I've been trying harder in school to get better grades. I wanted to make Mamoru proud so that he wouldn't leave here again to try and provide for our future family. It's complicated.

The bell for first period being over rang and I sprung out of my seat, desperate to escape the clutches of my friends. I didn't want to talk to them right now, I just wanted to focus on my schoolwork for a change. Can't I just be a normal teenage girl for one day?

Unfortunately, Makoto's almost as tall as Mamoru and was easily able to catch up with me. "Nice hair," she said, nudging me. I smiled and thanked her as Ami and Naru caught up with us.

"Usagi, you look so old!" Molly said with a giggle. I rolled my eyes and playfully pushed her, only making her giggle some more. Ami silently smiled and gave a me a look of approval over my new hairstyle. I could feel guys staring at me as we walked down the hall, and I just held my head higher at the attention I was receiving. I was once told by my mother to, "Walk like you have three men walking behind you." Which is exactly what I did.

The rest of the day continued like that, guys clearing the way for me in the halls and watching me whisk past them. It was a great feeling, but everyone knew that my heart only belonged to Mamoru.

After school, Lita had to run home so she could go to work, so Ami and I started to walk towards my house. Ami lived a few blocks down.

"So..." I said, putting my arms behind my head as we walked. Ami cringed, knowing what I was going to ask.

"Who's the kid?" I said, going straight to the point.

Ami sighed and looked up at the clouds, which were starting to get darker. Melvin, our usual forecast updater, told us that there were going to be big storms tonight. Thinking about them made me shiver; I hate storms.

"She's actually my cousin...we didn't want to tell you that she was living with me because you were already so busy and tied up with everything else. Speaking of which, what's up with the Starlights?"

I knew that Ami was lying and she was trying to change the subject, but I knew I would find out sooner or later.

"I haven't talked to him much...he...he was there when I was attacked. And he didn't do anything until I was about to die...how can he do that to me?" I said, looking over at Ami. She was always the reasonable one who thought things through carefully before expressing her opinion. She brought a finger to her chin as she thought of Seiya. I could see the light dance in her eyes, and I knew she was thinking about Taiki.

I giggled, and Ami blushed. "Usagi, did you ever stop to think that the Three Lights just wanted to see what you were capable of? I mean, they stepped in eventually, right? It's better than them letting you die. Seiya really cares for you Serena, and I'm sure he would've jumped in immediately; but did you ever think about Taiki and Yaten? They're the stubborn ones; they probably held Seiya back because they wanted to test your capabilities."

My mouth dropped open in shock. "I-I didn't even think of it that way..." I said, ashamed. I felt bad about yelling at Seiya. After all, he did save my life...

Ami smiled to herself as we approached the gate to my house. My dad was a news reporter for a very popular newspaper, so we had quite a bit of money.

"Bye Ami!" I said, waving to her as I opened the gate. She held her schoolbag in one hand and waved with the other, smiling widely.

"Bye Usagi, have fun with the storms tonight!" she said with a wink. I stuck my tongue out at her and walked inside, silently shutting the door behind me. Naturally, my mother heard me. She has admirable hearing.

Her head appeared from the kitchen and she smiled widely. "Usagi! It's about time you came to see your family!" she said with a laugh. I rolled my eyes and hugged her, taking in the scent of cookies and perfume. "I missed you're bubbly personality around here. Heck, even Sammy was complaining about you not being here," my mother said, pulling me away and examining me.

"Yeah well, I'm back now. I had a big exam this week, and I wanted to make sure I did well on it," I said with a smile. My mother's face erupted with glee. Ever since I started to actually try and do well in school, we've had a much better relationship.

I just began to acknowledge the wonderful smell of shortcake baking in the oven.

"I was wondering when you'd notice," Mom said with a laugh. She could easily recognize when I smelled food. There was a tiny bit of drool on the corner of my mouth, and I quickly wiped it away.

"I love you!" I said, throwing my arms around her. She patted me back and we walked into the kitchen where the wonderful smell became stronger.

Chibi-Usa sat at the kitchen table eating some shortcake, and I tried my best not to glare at her. She could have at least waited for me.

"Hi Usagi!" she said with a smirk. I refrained from sticking my tongue out at her and plopped down on a chair. My mother put a plate of shortcake in front of me and I began to hungrily scarf it down. I was starving, especially since I didn't have anyone to pack my lunch for me this morning.

That night, I actually spent some quality time with my family. We all sat in the living room, preparing to watch a Sailor Moon movie by Chibi-Usa's and Sammy's request. CHibi-Usa sat in my lap with my arms wrapped around her, and my mother leaned her head on my father's shoulder. Sammy layed on his stomach on the floor with a dark blue blanket on top of him.

We each had our own bowl of popcorn, and I had to say that the movie was pretty good. Nothing near how the Scouts and I really fight, but it had a good plot. The actor who played Darien wasn't nearly as adorable and handsome, but he was good at showing his affection on camera. The movie ended, and I started to hear the rain pelt down on the roof. My parents smiled as I stood and stretched, pretending to be tired.

"Well, it's late, I'd better get to bed," I said with a fake yawn. Everyone smirked; they all knew of my fear of thunderstorms.

"But it's only 6, and it's a Saturday," Sammy said. I glared at him and started to leave the room towards the stairs. "Good night everyone!" I said with another fake yawn. The booming of thunder erupted, and I gave out a tiny yelp. I heard Reni and Sammy laughing as I closed my bedroom door. I was already in my pajamas, so I turned the light off and slid into bed. Luna, who was sleeping on my pillow, yelped and leaped out of the way.

"Hello to you too," Luna grumbled. I rolled my eyes, even though she probably couldn't see me in the dark.

"I think I'll sleep in Chibi-Usa's room tonight," Luna said after seeing a flash of lighting outside my bedroom balcony. I sank lower in the bedsheets, ashamed of my fear. But I couldn't help it, thunderstorms were just so scary!

Luna left the room, shutting the door behind her with her tail. Another loud thunder erupted, and it seemed to shake the whole house. I stifled my scream with my pillow, trying my hardest to control myself.

I repeatedly tried to sleep, but the lightining kept lighting up my room, and soon after more thunder would shake the house. I was literally shaking with fear, jumping every time thunder erupted.

The thunder stopped for a few minutes, so I thought it was over. I closed my eyes, feeling the exhaustion from jumping around so much. I started to drift into sleep when another clap of thunder went off. My balcony window flew open, letting in wet rain and wind. I scrambled up and ran to the window. I could've swore a dark shape just moved into the room, but it's probably just the shadow of the tree outside my balcony. I pushed the window back into place, fumbling with the lock because my hands were shaking so violently.

I finally managed to get the lock to shut and I started to get back into bed when another clap of thunder went off. I jumped and screamed, right before a strong, warm pair of arms wrapped around me. I gasped, starting to scream, but a warm hand covered my mouth.

"Shhh...it's alright," a gentle, familiar voice purred into my ear. My muscles relaxed as I realized that the arms wrapped around me belonged to Mamoru.

"You frightened me," I said, my voice trembling slightly.

"I'm sorry. I knew tonight would be hard for you, because of the storm," Mamoru said with a chuckle. I moved out of his embrace and slapped his chest, only amusing him further.

"I'll leave then," he said. He turned to walk back outside, but I grabbed his wrist. I knew he was teasing, but I didn't want to take any chances. He turned around and looked into my eyes. Even though it was semi-dark (the lightning lit the room a bit).

"Stay with me tonight," I said pleadingly. He chuckled and I smiled, knowing I had won him over.

"I just hope Kenji doesn't come in to check on his little girl," Mamoru aid, glancing towards my bedroom door. Thinking of my father's overprotectiveness over me made me shudder. It took forever just to let him accept that I was dating an older guy, but Darien's only like, four years older than me.

Lighting flashed, and the loudest thunder clap I have ever heard went off. I screamed and leapt into Darien's open arms, burying my face into his chest. I immediately took in the familiar, warming smell of roses.

He picked me up bridal style and set me down on my bed, covering me up and slipping in beside me. He wrapped his arms around me and I turned my body so that I was facing him. The urge to feel his warm lips on mine overcame me, and I leaned my head towards him and pressed my lips against his. The kiss was comforting and warm, and I felt all of the fear leave my body. With him here, my fears were nonexistent.

"How are you always so warm?" I said with a giggle. He chuckled and kissed the top of my head.

"It's you that keeps me going."

A/N: I'm sorry if this one is short, I had to end it with romance ;) I also apologize for the lack of action, but I promise in the next chapter there will be more drama and a little hint is revealed as to whom Kaliya's father is :D Thank for reading!


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Usagi's P.O.V.

I woke up the next morning well rested and happy. My alarm read 10:46. Mamoru wasn't in the room anymore, so I figured he went home before my parents came in to wake me up. I smiled when I remembered the previous night with Mamoru. I could still feel his warm arms wrapped around me.

I yawned and went downstairs. Luna was nowhere to be seen, and everything was silent. No morning smell of pancakes, so sound of Chibi-Usa and Sammy fighting over the remote, just silence. "Mom? Dad? Chibi-Usa?" I shouted, my voice pervading the empty halls. I entered the kitchen where I found a note on the kitchen table.

Sere, if you're awake before we are home, sorry about the sudden change of events. Sammy had a track meet this morning, and we forgot to tell you. We didn't want to wake you, you looked so peaceful, so we just left. We should be back by noon. Love, Mom.

I sighed and put the note back on the table. No Mom meant no breakfast. I clutched my stomach as it growled hungrily and I groaned. I sat down in my chair at the kitchen table and put my head in my arms. I stared at the clock as it ticked, and my stomach growled again. It was only 10:55. I had about an hour until my family came home.

I heard a familiar beeping noise echo from my room, and I ran to go pick up my communicator. Luna's face flashed on the screen and she said, "Usagi, we need you down at the arcade now! A new enemy is attacking, and the girls can't hold out much longer!"

I nodded and turned off the communicator before grabbing my brooch and transforming into my winged alter ego. I pulled open my balcony window and leaped outside, landing swiftly on the concrete below. A little girl who was walking down the street eating ice cream stared at me in shock. I just smiled at her and ran off towards the arcade, which was just a few blocks away.

I arrived at the arcade to find a dozen lamp posts crushed to the ground and people screaming as they ran the opposite direction. A monster with a clown face and bright orange hair was hopping around, laughing evilly. It had arms that looked detachable and very skinny legs, which I assumed accounted for its miraculous speed. I leaped onto the roof of the arcade, preparing for my oh so dramatic entrance.

"Hold it right there!" I said, pointing at the clown thing. It stopped and stared up at me, confused. "How dare you disturbe this peaceful day! Pretty soldier in a sailor suit Sailor Moon and in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"

The clown thing smiled evilly and pointed it's spindly arm towards me. I gulped as its forearm sailed towards me at lightning speed. At the last second, I managed to roll out of the way. The projectile was razor sharp, and it even cut off a piece of my hair. Goosebumps formed on my arms and I leaped off of the roof to join my fellow scouts. "What'd I miss?" I said with a smile. The girls smiled at me, grateful that I had finally arrived. They all looked exhausted, and a part of me wondered why they didn't contact me sooner. I shook the thought away and turned towards the clown, who had just reattached its arm back to its body. I bent my knees slightly, ready to fight, and the other girls followed suit.

"Mars Firebird Strike!" Sailor Mars shouted, shooting her firebird at the clown. A huge blast of fire covered the area where the monster stood, and Mars smirked in triumph. We all cheered, but our cheers soon died when we realized that the monster dodged Mars's attack. We all looked around frantically, trying to find out where it went. Suddenly, it came out of nowhere and sprinted towards me. My feet were frozen to the ground, and right when I expected impact Jupiter jumped in front of me, taking the blow. The clown bashed into her, sending her flying back and taking me with her. I let out a small yelp in surprise as we landed on the hard gravel of the street. She hit her head on the ground and it was bleeding heavily, but I was forced to push her off of me. She was unconscious, and I was left with only a few scrapes and bruises.

I pulled her motionless body across the street and layed her down behind a tree before running back into battle. The girls looked even more tired than they were before. This monster was fast, probably one of the the fastest. I leaped out of the way as it charged at me again, but this time I was too slow. It managed to snatch my long golden hair and pull me with it, slamming me against a tree. I gasped as the wind was knocked out of me. I desperately tried to catch my breath, but the monster was holding me by the shoulders to the point where I couldn't move. I started coughing in an attempt to breathe

I noticed Sailor Mercury using her VR Visor to scan the enemy, searching for a weak point.

"Venus Love Me Chain!" Sailor Venus shouted, sending a golden chain hurtling towards us. It wrapped around the monster's waist as her and Sailor Mars pulled and tugged, trying to yank the monster away from me, but it didn't budge, just pressed down harder. I was slowly starting to regain my strength as my friends stalled.

"Sailor Moon! Try to hit it's left ankle!" Mercury yelled across the street. I bit my lip and looked down, noticing I was only a mere few inches away from the clown's left ankle. I kicked and thrashed, desperately trying to reach for it. It just smirked and leaned closer, starting to open its mouth. What the hell?

My eyes widened as it came closer and closer, and for a second I thought it was going to kiss me. EWWW! But at the last second it turned and placed its ginormous mouth on my brooch, pulling at it. A searing pain coursed through my body, traveling down my spine until it scorched my toes. I screamed in agony as my body started to shake violently. I felt like I was burning up, as if I was spontaneously combusting from within. My eyes were squeezed shut as I screamed. I could hear my friends firing attacks left and right, not caring if they hit me. They desperately tried to get the clown thing away from me, but nothing worked. I could feel the light from the silver crystal fading, but I couldn't do anything about it. Crimson ribbons flew around my body, signaling my detransformation. I looked down in terror.

Just when I thought I was about to burn to ashes and die right there outside of the Crown Arcade, a flash of red whizzed past me, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. The monster screeched in surprise as it flew backwards and clutched its face. I collapsed to the ground, heaving and shaking with violent sobs. Not even the pain of being kicked and beaten by whatever creature attacked me earlier in the week hurt this much. I felt like my body was burning as my heart was ripped out of my body, slowly and painfully. Never had I expected a monster such as that one to be so strong.

I forced myself to look up at my savior, even though I already knew who it was. Tuxedo Kamen stood atop the Crown Arcade roof, cape blowing in the wind. I couldn't help but give a half-smile at his appearance. He was always there when I needed him.

He leaped off of the roof, landing next to the scouts. I understood why he didn't come for me first; the monster had to be dealt with. I sat there on all fours, breathing heavily as I clutched my brooch, thankful it was still there. I gently took it off of my uniform, thankful I hadn't detransformed. I opened the brooch to find the silver crystal pulsating slightly. The sight of it made my stomach drop to my feet. Something wasn't right.

I shakily stood as I watched the Sailor Scouts throw more attacks at the monster. It dodged easily, just as before. And the girls were getting more tired with every second. Tuxedo Kamen was able to dodge the monster with ease, but the girls were getting slower. I watched in horror as Mercury was hit and she collapsed, clutching her now bleeding arm. Jupiter was next, and she was hit in the foot. Venus and Mars held onto each other for dear life, trying to stand straight. The monster charged once more and I was forced to place my trembling hands over my eyes.

"Uranus World Shaking!"

A mildly familiar voice rang out from behind me. A large blast of bright yellow energy that made the ground shake blasted past me, hitting the monster square on the ankle. It shrieked in agony, almost matching my own. "Sailor Moon, now!" Sailor Neptune said hurriedly. I nodded and forced myself to stand straight.

I pulled out my Eternal Tiel and aimed it at the monster before shouting, "Moon Eternal Therapy Kiss!" A weak crescent beam shot out of the tiel, with just enough force to dust the monster. Even though the blast was weak, I felt like it had taken all of my energy. Before I was able to fall to my knees, Uranus grabbed me from underneath my arms, supporting me. I looked behind me into her eyes and smiled gratefully. Despite the circumstances, she smiled back and laughed.

"Always getting yourself into trouble, huh Meatball Head?" she said. I giggled and felt a wave of nausea. "Are you alright?" Uranus said, leaning over me with concern. She's a lot taller than me.

"Yeah, just a little weak, that's all," I said with a forced smile. Uranus nodded and helped me walk over to the other scouts who were being tended by Neptune. Tuxedo Kamen wrapped an arm around my waist and I leaned against him as Uranus began to help. "I...I have to help the girls," I murmured. Tuxedo Kamen nodded, even though I sensed uncertainty in his body language. I slowly walked over to the unconscious Ami, who detransformed when she was hit.

I lifted her head gently, trying not to move her too much. Her arm was bleeding heavily, and the color had drained from her face. I had to stop the bleeding...

I started to rip off a long strip of my shirt, which I knew would have resulted in Sailor Moon revealing quite a bit of cleavage, but I was stopped by a delicate tap on my shoulder. I turned my head to see Kaliya standing silently behind me, a warm smile plastered on her face. Her eyes sparkled, as if there were stars in them. She seemed to give off an aura of positive energy.

"Stand back," Kaliya said, pushing me gently behind her. Despite the fact that she was much younger than me, I did as I was told and stood, almost losing my balance but made it safely to Tuxedo Kamen's side without falling on my face.

We watched in awe as Kaliya placed a hand on Ami's bleeding wound and a white light surrounded her hand. When the light faded, Ami's wound had sealed up without a trace. My mouth hung open at what happened, even though I had seen it happen before. I looked over at Uranus, Neptune, and Mars, who looked as if this was an everyday thing for them. My eyes narrowed at them, sensing something was up.

Ami groaned and opened her eyes, sitting up slowly. "W-what happened?" she said, rubbing her head. I heaved a sigh of relief seeing she was okay.

"You were hit, but Kaliya healed you," Neptune said gently.

Ami nodded knowingly and turned to the small girl who had possibly saved her life. Ami smiled and thanked her, but something about her eyes made it seem like there was a note of bitterness to her. This was just getting more and more suspicious.

After Kaliya healed Jupiter as well, we all stood outside of the Crown in our detransformed state. I was still a little weak from the fight, but for some reason I just felt...blank. As if I didn't care.

When the others weren't paying attention, I flipped open my brooch and watched as it pulsed slowly. It seemed to pulse every five seconds. It looked...gloomy, which was kind of how I felt for some reason. Why do I always have to be the one that gets captured, then saved? Why can't I be the one who saves for a change? Whatever, I don't really care anymore.

I followed behind the others as we walked to Rei's temple where we would have a Scout meeting, including Mamoru. Kaliya skipped happily beside Haruka and Michiru, who just watched her with blank expressions. I continued to stare aimlessly at the Silver Crystal, unaware of the figure currently walking beside me.

"What are you thinking about?" Mamoru said, pushing a stray piece of hair behind my ear. I forced myself to look away from the crystal and look at him.

"Nothing," I said blankly. I shrugged and walked faster, trying to catch up with the girls. I could feel Mamoru's eyes burning into my skull, but I ignored it and kept walking. He can stare all he likes.

I walked silently besides Minako until we were inside Rei's room. We all sat in different spots in the room, Rei in her desk chair, Minako and Makoto on the bed, Ami sitting cross-legged on the carpet, Haruka, Michiru, and Kaliya on a small couch, and Mamoru and I sitting besides each other on the carpet as well. I sat up straight, refusing the urge to lean my head on his shoulder. I could see him glancing at me every now and then out of the corner of my eye. I rolled my eyes and cleared my throat, wanting my answers.

"Who is she?" I said, pointing at Kaliya, who merely giggled. Ami and Haruka exchanged nervous glances as they contemplated how to answer the question.

"Her name is Kaliya, which you already know. She came from the future, and she is your daughter Serena," Michiru said calmly. I stared at her, processing her words but showing no emotion. Everyone's eyes were on me, even Kaliya's, as they waited for me reaction. But I refused to give them one. "Who's the father?" Mamoru gave in, desperately wanting to know. Even though a part of me wanted it to be him, I knew it wasn't. Her hair didn't match his. His was ebony, and Kaliya's was midnight black. It was a small comparison, but there was something about her that just screamed "cheerful", which was not really Mamoru's area of expertise. It was mine, but it was also someone else's...

I couldn't hide my gasp when the true identity of the father struck me. Haruka and Michiru looked down at the floor, trying to hide the truth. But I knew them all too well, and my suspicions were confirmed.

"But...how?" I said, my voice shaking. Did...something happen in the future?

We were interrupted by a beeping sound coming from my back pocket. I pulled out my communicator to reveal Sailor Pluto, the Guardian of Time. She gave me a sweet smile that hid the true reason for her contacting me at this exact moment.

"Your Highness, I assume you have discovered the guardians of Kaliya," Pluto said calmly. I nodded and bit my lip, my mind racing with thoughts of the future. Pluto sighed and closed her eyes, finally revealing the exhaustion that was tugging at her. I felt sympathy for her, but it was washed away as soon as it had come.

"Something has...happened here. An event from your time has changed the future...drastically. Usagi, you mustn't let the current change of events turn you away from what's truly important. Keep your heart open and keep your friends close. Don't let darkness overpower you. The future of your Chibi-Usa and the other scouts depends on it. I'm begging you."

I stared at the screen, my face grim as I nodded in agreement. I was furious that I hadn't gotten any answers, but something told me that was Pluto was saying was really serious. I turned off the communicator and looked down at the floor before standing up.

"I'm off," I said, walking out of the room. Everyone watched was walk swiftly out of the room without a word. I was halfway home when I heard someone calling me. I spun around on my heels to find Mamoru chasing after me. He caught up to me and started to walk beside me, both of us silent.

"Are you alright?" Mamoru said, taking my hand. I looked straight ahead and responded flatly.

"I'm fine. Why?"

He looked at me with worry, but I refused to meet his gaze. "Ever since the attack you seem, distant. Are you sure everything is okay? I understand this is all a lot to take in."

I shook my head and looked up at the setting sun. "Mamoru, I'm fine. Just drop it, okay?" I snapped. I was surprised at the fierceness of my voice, and so was Mamoru. He stopped and grabbed my arm, pulling me into the park entrance which we happened to be standing next to at the time. I followed silently as he pulled me towards the boats at the lake. He paid for one and rowed me out to the center of the lake to watch the sunset. He didn't look at me until we were alone in the middle of the lake.

"Usagi," Mamoru said, setting down the oars and taking both of my hands in his. I looked down at our hands until he placed one hand underneath my chin and gently tilted my head up so that I was looking into his eyes. I was surprised to find sadness and guilt in them. What did I expect? Anger? Malice? Jealousy? I didn't know, but I did know that I wanted to get away from him and just go home for the day.

"Hmm?" I replied.

He sighed and stared deeply into my eyes. His eyebrows furrowed and he leaned a little closer, not like he was trying to kiss me but as if he was trying to inspect me. I looked at him, annoyed, until he pulled back. "What?" I said, feeling the annoyance in my voice.

"You're eyes...they're darker..." Mamoru said, almost in a trance. I blinked profusely just to annoy him and he leaned back, confusion on his face.

"Please don't forget what Pluto said. I can't lose you again, especially to the darkness," Darien said, placing one hand on behind my neck. He pulled me towards him, and despite my urge to pull away, I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his. I slid my hand beneath his green jacket and felt his heartbeat beneath my heart was racing, and I wondered if mine was doing the same. I didn't feel like it was.

I pulled away and we pressed our foreheads together. "You're heart's racing," I whispered.

"Is yours?"

"I don't know..."

Mamoru reached up and placed one hand over my heart. A few seconds passed, and his expression changed from one of love to one of confusion and concern. I placed both hands on his wrist and stared at him before saying, "What's wrong?"

He removed his hand and leaned back a bit, nothing but concern on his face.

"Usako, you're heart is barely beating."

I stared at him in shock before pulling out my brooch and staring at the pulsating silver crystal. Another wave of nausea took over me and I groaned, clutching my stomach.

"Usagi?" he said, placing his hands on my shoulders. The nausea passed as soon as it came and I placed on hand over my heart, feeling it beat.

Beat...beat...beat...

It seemed to beat once every five seconds, but I felt fine other than the nausea I felt a few seconds ago. I looked down at the silver crystal, pulsating slowly, and realized something...

My eyes widened and I let out a small gasp of realization.

"What is it Usagi?" Mamoru said worriedly.

I looked up at him and back down at the crystal.

"My heart is beating with the crystal...Mamoru the crystal's dying."


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Usagi's P.O.V.

As soon as the words left my lips, I felt another wave of nausea. My clutched my stomach and groaned, leaning forward. Mamoru brought a warm hand to my forehead and I looked up at him as the nausea faded."Your skin is freezing Usagi," he said worriedly. I bit my lip, not knowing how to respond. I didn't feel cold...I just felt...well, I didn't feel anything.

"I don't feel anything Mamoru. What's happening to me?" I said, tears forming in my eyes. Darien placed both hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. His gaze made my heart flutter, but at the same time I just didn't want him touching me. I don't know why I felt this way, but I did. I took his hands off of my shoulders and he stared at me in shock.

"We...should probably get back. It's late," I said, turning away from him and grabbing the oars. I started to row us back to the docks, refusing to look at his face. I had to figure this out on my own. I didn't need him fussing over me. We got to the docks and parted, without even making eye contact. I could feel his eyes on my back as I retreated towards my home. I didn't bother to look back, or even say goodbye.

Mamoru's P.O.V.

I watched Usagi go and started to panic. Something was wrong. Normally she was so happy and clingy, but she didn't even say goodbye. My heart raced as I ran towards Rei's temple. Even though I'm technically not a Sailor Scout, I'm still a part of the team and I knew there had to be another meeting, immediately.

I knocked on Rei's bedroom door, having been able to slip inside rather easily. She opened the door with heavy eyelids and gasped when she saw me.

"Mamoru, what are you doing here so late?" she said with a yawn.

"Rei, it's about Usagi. Something's wrong," I said. Rei's nodded in understanding and opened the door wider for me. I leaned against the wall while she sat on her bed. Despite the uncomfortable circumstances, I had to tell her what was going on. She was closer to Usagi than anyone else, therefore, she was the one he trusted the most.

"What's up?" Rei said.

I sighed, trying to find out how to put what I wanted to say into words. "I took her out on the lake after the scout meeting, and she wasn't herself. She just seemed...out of it. I'm sure you noticed after the battle. She just wasn't acting the same. And then...I felt her heartbeat. It wasn't normal...I don't even know how she's still alive," I said, a lump forming in my throat.

"What was it like...?" Rei asked, sitting straighter.

"It was like it only beat once every five seconds. Blank. Not even before we kissed, it didn't change rate at all. I guess that explains why she hasn't been showing very many emotions, but then she pulled out the silver crystal. It wasn't bright anymore. As a matter of fact, it was pulsating at the exact same rate as her heartbeat. And then she told me...she told me..." I stopped, unable to finish my sentence.

"What? What did she say?" Rei asked, worry in her eyes. I took a deep breath.

"She told me the Silver Crystal is dying."

Rei gasped, placing a hand over her mouth. "H-how is that even possible?" she said. I looked down at the floor, and she knew that I didn't know either.

"Rei, if you know anything you have to tell me. Her life is at risk," I said, looking into her violet eyes that were filling with tears.

She gulped, and I knew almost instantly that she knew something I didn't.

"Mamoru, I'm sorry. I can't say anything yet. Please don't worry, the girls and I will find out what's wrong and let you know as soon as we do. But you need to go home and rest, it's been a long day," Rei said, pushing me towards the door. I tried protesting, but she slammed the door in my face. I wasn't giving up yet.

Rei's P.O.V.

After I practicially kicked Mamoru out, I immediately contacted the girls. Except Usagi of course.

"Girls, we need another emergency scout meeting tomorrow morning at nine. It's about Usagi," I said. All of the girls responded positively and agreed to meet the following morning. I buried myself beneath my bedsheets, desperately trying to close my eyes and fall asleep. I couldn't stop thinking about my friend and fellow scout. I sensed something dark within her earlier that day, right after the battle. After tossing and turning for two hours, I decided the best way to calm myself was to do a fire reading.

I quietly padded into the Fire Room where the fire crackled, low and silent. I got down on my knees and pressed my hands together, closing my eyes and focusing my energy. "O Great Fire, please show me what is the cause of the Silver Crystal's weakening," I chanted, almost robotically. I felt the fire grow stronger and I opened my eyes, only to find multiple images flashing through the fire. I scrambled to remember them all, but I could only catch a few before the fire died down. My face beading with sweat, I ran into my room and pulled out a pen and paper, beginning to write what I saw.

Silver Crystal

Usagi

Mamoru

Seiya

Kaliya

Monster from this afternoon

Hotaru

Heart Crystal

Cannon-Armed Monster

I leaned back and stared at the paper, thinking about how all of the images could fit. Well obviously Usagi had the Silver Crystal, and she was in love with Mamoru while Seiya was in love with her. Kaliya is Serena's daughter, but not Mamoru's. The monster from this afternoon went after Usagi, and ever since then she's been acting strange. Hotaru used to feed on Heart Crystals, back when she was possessed by Mistress 9. And as for the cannon-armed monster, the only thing I knew about it was that it wanted to kill Usagi.

Hotaru's P.O.V.

I woke up the next morning and quickly left my father's large mansion towards Rei's house. I was shocked to find the Three Lights walking along the sidewalk alone, the same direction as me. I clenched my fists. Pluto had told me everything, and right now I wanted to destroy them all.

But I didn't. I decided to lay back and follow him. I was only a child after all. An attempt to beat them up while not in my Scout form would be futile, and most likely end in me getting humiliated. I would get them one day. Just not today.

I was surprised to find out that they were heading towards Rei's temple as well. This only infuriated me further. They don't even have communicators; how could they know about the meeting?

They walked into Rei's temple and I followed, glaring at them. They didn't notice me until I shoved Seiya to the side in order to get through. I watched as the rest of the scouts stared at the Three Lights in shock. So they weren't invited. "I hope we aren't interrupting anything," Taiki said coldly, shooting a pointed glance my way. I stuck my tongue out at him, which aroused a giggle from Chibi-Usa. Haruka, Michiru, and Rei stood.

"You aren't welcome here. Leave now," Haruka said, glaring at Seiya. Seiya didn't back down. "We could use them..." I heard Ami murmur. Michiru turned and gave her a look that said, 'Shut up'. Ami clamped her mouth shut and turned back to Rei, who looked torn.

"Why are you here?" Rei said, rather took a step forward. "We've come to talk about the wishes we received from Princess Kakyu," he said boldly. Yaten and Taiki nodded, keeping their expressions blank.

"And what might that be?" Haruka spat, venom dripping from her words. I wanted desperately to cheer her on. None of us Outers liked the Starlights, and we never will.

Yaten started to lunge forward, which caused Seiya and Taiki to grab his arms and Haruka smirked. Yaten forced himself to stand straight, and I giggled when I noticed his clenched fists. "She sensed an evil from far beyond our solar system coming towards your planet. She sent us here to warn you, and to assist you. Where is Usagi? She is the one we should be speaking to," Seiya said, looking around the room.

Chibi-Usa jumped up and got in his face. "You have no right to speak to her! You big two-faced jerk! You need to go back to your home of ponytailed freaks," she yelled, blowing a raspberry at him. Seiya retaliated at the fierceness of the small child's words, and a smile tugged at the corners of my lips. That's my Chibi-Usa. Chibi-Usa had told me what went down when Usagi went to see Seiya, so I knew all about what she was yelling at him for. But the other girls had no idea, and they all stared at Chibi-Usa in shock. "What's going on Chibi-Usa?" Makoto said, putting a hand on the wired child's shoulder. Chibi-Usa looked up at her and shook her head, signaling that she wasn't speaking of it.

Makoto nodded and sat back down, leaving the others to decide what they were going to do with Seiya and the other two. "You guys...despite your hatred for them, they did save Usagi's life and they deserve to know what's going on with her," Ami spoke up once more. She received another glare from Michiru, but deep down Michiru knew Ami was right.

"Alright, I guess they can stay. But don't expect us to 'welcome' you into our group," Haruka said coldly, plopping down onto the floor.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Yaten grumbled, leaning against the wall.

"Alright, so what's going on Rei?" Minako said, leaning forward. Rei took a deep breath and pulled a folded piece of paper out of her pocket. "Mamoru came over last night..." she said quietly. We all heard her loud and clear, and everyone, even the Starlights, gasped in surprise.

"Rei, you aren't...?" Makoto asked, her eyes wide. Rei shook her head vigorously, causing everyone to heave sighs of relief.

"No! I would never do that to Usagi, and neither would Mamoru. In fact, he came here because he was worried."

I listened carefully as Rei told us of Mamoru's little date with Usagi . When I heard of the Silver Crystal's weakening, I felt my heart drop to my stomach and my mouth go dry.

"And that's why I called you here. There has to be some way we can piece this thing together," Rei said.

My eyesight zoned in on the piece of paper Rei held in her hand and I was able to make out my name written in loopy handwriting. "Why is my name written on your paper?" I asked, pointing.

Rei clenched it in her fists. "Last night, I did a fire reading. The fire showed me a million images, but I was only able to make out these," Rei said, passing the paper around. It finally came to me, and when my eyes scanned over the word Heart Crystal, a shiver ran down my spine. This cannot happen again.

"How is this possible? We destroyed the Heart Snatchers!" I said, starting to hyperventilate. Chibi-Usa placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder, and I smiled in return.

"We did," Chibi-Usa said, looking at Ami for help. Ami bit her lip, still trying to think of a logical explanation.

"Maybe...these are different enemies, but they're after the same thing," Ami said. Haruka and Michiru shook their heads.

"Impossible. There is nothing more to be gained from a pure heart, because it has already been retrieved. Unless..." Michiru said, realization striking her features. Haruka gasped.

"What is it? What's going on?" Seiya said, looking back and forth from Haruka to Michiru. Haruka ignored them and turned to the Inners.

"Do you remember on Usagi's birthday when Mamoru forgot, and you guys pretended to forget so she was devastated?" Haruka aid. The girls nodded slowly, recalling memories from that awful night that went terribly wrong. "Do you remember when the Heart Snatchers went after Usagi, and her heart crystal shone brighter than any other we had seen?" Haruka continued. I still didn't understand what she was getting at.

"That light shone far past the Earth's atmosphere, stretching God knows how far through space. It's the light of the Silver Crystal and the purity of Sailor Moon's heart. If an evil force were to discover it..." Michiru said, getting cut off by Makoto."Then they would want to go after that energy! Of course! That's what they're after; Usagi's heart crystal!" Makoto exclaimed, feeling proud of herself.

"But why?" Chibi-Usa asked, starting to feel scared for her mom.

I wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. I sensed she was about to cry.

"Power? Control? Possessing the heart crystal of the Moon Princess would definitely give the enemy great power, which is why the went after you so long ago Chibi-Usa," Ami said, finally understanding the enemy's motives. Chibi-Usa nodded, even though she felt like bursting into tears. This wasn't supposed to happen.

Suddenly, Luna P started to float into the air and it projected a hologram of Sailor Pluto.

"Greeting fellow scouts. Starlights," Pluto said, seeming to give the Starlights the cold shoulder. "I see you've found the motives behind your new enemy. Now is not the time to discuss this, I'm afraid. I am growing weaker, and it won't be long before the darkness of the future comes back to the past. You must keep the bond between Usagi and Mamoru strong. She's slipping away as we speak," Pluto said, her voice cracking.

Minako leaned forward, a billion questions buzzing around in her mind. "Why is she slipping? What's wrong with her?" Minako asked eagerly. She was dying to know the answers.

"When the monster attacked her yesterday, it stole part of the Silver Crystal's essence. It basically sapped some of her life energy. The Silve Crystal grows weaker and weaker, and with it Usagi herself. Soon, she will be no more. Her very life essence will have been sapped from her body, and she will only live on as a spirit in this world. Only her true love can help her regain her strength again, that is, if she doesn't get attacked again. You cannot let an enemy touch her, understood?" Pluto said, her image starting to flicker. Everyone nodded, even the Starlights.

Pluto turned to Seiya and pointed her staff at him. "And you. You stay away from her, unless it is so imperative that it is a life or death matter. As for the rest of you, please stay strong and help Usagi. Go find her quickly, the dark forces-" Pluto was cut off as the connection was broken, leaving us all speechless.

The scouts all looked at each other, all thinking the same thing.

"We have to find her," Rei said, standing. We all followed, even the Starlights.

"Makoto, Haruka, Chibi-Usa, and Ami go after Usagi, the rest of us will go after Mamoru. Keep Usagi happy, remind her of old memories, do whatever it takes," Minako, stated boldly.

She didn't acknowledge the Starlights, but I knew that they were going to go after Usagi anyway. I shot a glare towards Seiya, warning him to stay away from her.

Everyone nodded and sprinted out of Rei's temple, anxious to find our beloved Prince and Princess.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Minako's P.O.V.

We all ran towards Mamoru's apartment as fast as we could, hoping to catch him before his morning jog. I was ahead of everyone else because I had a lot of running experience on my morning dash to school. I, like Usagi, valued my beauty sleep.

We probably looked like a bunch of lunatics as we ran through the streets, dodging business men on cell phones and children slurping ice cream cones. We finally made it to Mamoru's apartment complex, running up the stairs instead of taking the elevator. We arrived at his apartment, panting as I rang the doorbell. No answer. We all groaned as we realized we were too late and had to try and find him on the streets. I could tell by looking around at the others that they were tired from all of the running. It wasn't exactly short distance from Rei's to Mamoru's. Being the leader of the Inners, I knew I had to be a good example. "Come on girls, we can do this. We have to find him, the future depends on it! And so does Chibi-Usa!" I said, adding the part about Chibi-Usa to get Hotaru to perk up. They all nodded and ran down the stairs behind me. I felt bad because Rei was probably getting smacked by my hair and Michelle was probably getting smacked by Rei's hair. But I ignored it and ran through the apartment lobby and back onto the streets, searching for any sign of the black-haired man. I decided to run towards the park. I didn't stop running as I turned my head and yelled back, "The park!" I turned my head back around to find myself running into someone's hard chest. My body rebounded backwards, catching Rei and Michelle on the way. We all tumbled to the ground, tangled together in a mass of legs and hair. I prepared to yell at whoever was in my way, when I heard a familiar voice.

"Oh my gosh, Minako are you alright?" Mamoru said, helping us up. I could hear everyone heave sighs of relief when they realized who it was.

"Thank goodness! Mamoru, we've been looking all over for you!" Michelle said, brushing dirt off of her. Mamoru stared at us questioningly.

"Not here," Hotaru warned. I nodded and got on my toes so I could whisper in Mamoru's ear. There were way too many people around to say what I needed to say out loud.

"It's about Usagi. We know what the Negaverse wants," I whispered. He stiffened at my words and nodded.

We followed him back to his apartment and settled ourselves in. Rei and I made ourselves at home on his couch, while Michelle sat up straight in a recliner and Hotaru sat on the floor. Mamoru leaned against the wall, ready for our explanation.

I decided to be the first one to speak. "As you know...Usagi's...changed," I started. He nodded in agreement, and I noticed how tired he looked. There were dark circles under his eyes and his eyes seemed a little puffy. Poor guy...

"I did a fire reading last night after you came to me. The fire showed me a bunch of different things, and I was only able to catch a few. They are all connected to either Usagi...or the Heart Snatchers," Rei said, her voice quivering with fear. I watched as Mamoru's expression changed from one of seriousness to one of worry. He eyebrows furrowed, and lines appeared on his forehead.

"Not this again..." he said. I knew he was thinking of her birthday. Suddenly his eyes almost popped out of his head.

"HOLY CRAP HER BIRTHDAY!" Mamoru said. I pulled out my phone to check the date; Juna 29. Tomorrow was her birthday. Rei choked on the water she was drinking as she realized it too. Hotaru didn't know when Serena's birthday was.

I gasped. I didn't have anything picked out for her. I'm assuming no one else did either. Hotaru looked back and forth from the coughing Rei to me. "Tomorrow's Usagi's birthday," I said, filling her in. She nodded. Mamoru stood and started pacing.

"It makes sense now. The Heart Snatchers are back, and they're trying to do a repeat attack and take Usagi's Heart Crystal," he said, running his finger through his ebony hair. I shook my head furiously, causing him to stop and stare at me.

"Not quite...remember when the Heart Snatchers revealed Usagi's Heart Crystal, and it had a bright, vibrant shine?" Michiru said, standing. She walked towards him and put a hand on his shoulder. He nodded. "'Well, that shine was bright enough to be seen from universes farther than Kinmoku. Any kind of negative forces could have seen that shine, and that's what we think these new enemies are. They're after her Heart Crystal, Mamoru," she said, blinking back tears. His face paled even more than it already was, which I didn't even think was possible.

"The Silver Crystal is a part of Usagi's heart. Everything that goes on in Usagi's heart goes on with the Silver Crystal, and vice versa. When that monster attacked her today, it sapped some of the life energy from the crystal. That's why it was pulsing, and her heart was doing the same. It was in the process of stealing her Heart Crystal. It's probably halfway out of her body," Rei said, standing beside Michiru.

Hotaru clasped her hands together and said, "You are the only one that can help her Mamoru. If you can get her to start feeling emotions again, and return the warmth and love to her heart, then the Silver Crystal will regain its strength and her Heart Crystal will go back where it belongs. But in the meantime, we cannot let her get attacked again. If she does, who knows how long it will take for them to retrieve her Heart Crystal."

Poor Mamoru had to sit down. He put his head in his hands, thinking hard about everything we just told him.

"So...why does it take them so long to retrieve a Heart Crystal?" Mamoru said shakily. I bit my lip, thinking of how to answer his question. Rei came to my rescue.

to be a lot stronger the next time we see them with Serena's life energy," Rei said with a sigh.

Hotaru stood, her face pale and her expression grim. Mamoru looked up at the small girl, warmth in his eyes despite his state of grief.

"There's something I haven't told you," Hotaru said nervously. We all stared at her, waiting for her to go on.

"Kaliya...she's...dangerous to us. Mamoru, you have to keep Serena away from Seiya as much as possible..." Hotaru said. She was hiding something...something big. But my blonde mind couldn't process what she was saying as fast as Rei and Mamoru could. Mamoru's face looked completely shocked. He wasn't even moving.

"What...how...why...?" Mamoru said, running his hand through his hair. I looked back and forth from him and Hotaru, wondering what was going on. Tears filled Mamoru's eyes, and his shoulders started shaking with silent sobs. The sight of him like that, the usually so strong and so casual Mamoru sobbing like that, crushed me. The love he had for Usagi was bigger than the love in all of the world. But I was still confused.

"What? What's going on?" I said, walking over and putting a hand on Mamoru's shoulder. Rei collapsed onto the couch and put her head in her hands. Rei lifted her head up, tears in her eyes, and said:

"Seiya's the father."


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Rei's P.O.V.

I watched Minako's expression change from one of curiosity to one of shock and horror. Hotaru was shaking with nerves, afraid of our reactions. I stood and walked over to her, pulling her in for a hug. A let a few tears leave her eyes and soak themselves onto my shirt. She pulled away and gave me a half-smile before I turned and went over to Mamoru, who was still shaking with sobs. I grabbed his arm and pulled him up before wrapping my arms around him and hugging him. It wasn't the kind of flirty hug you give to a boyfriend or crush, it was the kind of hug you give to someone who needs it, badly. Poor Mamoru probably just had his world crash down on him. He didn't pull away, just stood there and cried. Michiru, who had been quiet this entire time, joined me and hugged him as well. Soon, Hotaru and Minako joined, and it was a large group hug. Mamoru didn't object, because he knew that he needed it. Eventually he stopped crying and stood straight, wiping his eyes. I was still kind of shaken from seeing him like that. Darien never cried, ever. It was so strange. "I really just want her in my arms right now," Darien said. We all nodded, but jumped in surprise as the apartment door flew open. In came Kaliya, dragging a weak looking Chibi-Usa behind her. Kaliya looked like she wanted to collapse from exhaustion, and she was panting. We rushed over to them, Mamoru scooping Chibi-Usa up and placing her on the couch.

"What happened?" I said to the tired Kaliya. She collapsed into my arms, and a part of me wanted to throw her back out the door. But I didn't, I just picked her up and put her in Mamoru's recliner. After all, she was Serena's daughter, and it wasn't her fault she existed. Mamoru was busily tending to Chibi-Usa, who looked like she was fading. Hotaru was next to him, shaking her head and murmuring to herself. "The others dropped her off at the park to play with me...and she started to feel sick. We thought it was just a little tummy ache, but then she got really pale and she fell down. I dragged her here, because that's where she told me to take her," Kaliya said quietly.

"You were very brave," Minako said, putting a hand on her knee. She smiled, and we turned our attention to Chibi-Usa. Michiru was leaning against the wall with her head down, and I could see a tear fall from her face to the carpet. She knew what was going on...and I had a feeling I did too. "She's fading...the future is being affected by Usagi's heart. Time is being scrambled. As long as Kaliya exists, Chibi-Usa won't be able to...to..." Hotaru said, her voice cracking. She burst into tears, burying her face into Mamoru's shirt. He looked down at his daughter with worry, sadness in his eyes. Hotaru excused herself to the bathroom, and Mamoru kissed Chibi-Usa on the forehead. She was sleeping now.

He stood, fists clenched. "I have to go find Usagi," he said with determination. We all nodded in agreement as Hotaru came out of the bathroom, her eyes red and puffy."Kaliya and I will stay here with Chibi-Usa. I'll call you every once in a while with updates," Hotaru said, sitting besides Chibi-Usa on the couch. Michiru came over and hugged Hotaru before walking over to the door.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go save our princess!" Michirusaid, opening the door for us. I smiled at her and ran after Mamoru, who was already out the door. "Wait, I have a better idea," Mamoru said once we were in the elevator. Minako and I stared at him, confused.

"We should plan her a surprise birthday party instead!" Darien said, a smile on his face. God, he was so good to her it was almost unreal. I smiled and nodded in agreement. Minako, on the other hand, started jumping and squealing with excitement. Michiru just smiled politely, but I could see the sparkle in her eyes at the mention of a party.

"Minako, stop," I said sternly. I gripped onto the railing inside of the elevator, waiting for it to stop moving. I hate elevators. Minako did as she was told, but didn't stop giggling like a five-year-old. The elevator finally stopped and the door opened. I practically leaped out of the scary contraption, glad to finally be out of there.

"So...are we going shopping now?" I said, trying to act casual. Mamoru nodded and patted his wallet that he had in his pocket.

"Let's go blow all of our money."

Seiya's P.O.V.

I didn't follow Lita and the others to Usagi's house. I knew that she wasn't going to be there. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who knows her.

Instead of going to her house, I went to the arcade. She always spends her Saturday afternoons there. I walked through the slilding glass doors into the air-conditioned arcade, immediately spotting Usagi at the counter, sipping a chocolate milkshake. Andrew was busy talking to other customers, so I approached her and sat down on the barstool next to her. She looked over at me and almost choked on her milkshake.

"*cough* Seiya!? What are you *cough* doing here?" she said. I laughed and squeezed one of her hair buns.

"I came to see you of course, Odango," I said with a laugh. She smiled and threw her arms around me, hugging the air out of my body. "Uh...Usagi...I can't...breathe," I wheezed. She gasped and pulled away.

"Sorry! I'm just so glad to see you. I feel awful about what I said the other day, and-" I shushed her by putting a finger to her lips.

"It's my fault. You were right. I should have stepped in when I had the chance. But it's in the past now, so why not live in the present?" I said, standing up. She looked at me questioningly and finished off her milkshake before following me over to the racing machines. I sat in one of the seats while she sat in the other. The boys and I recently got some money from our debut concert a few days ago, so I used that to pay for the game. "Get ready to get your butt kicked," Usagi said, picking her car and driver. I laughed and lightly shoved her, almost making her fall out of the seat. She stuck her tongue out at me as the countdown for the race began.

I took off, Usagi hot on my heels. She must have been practicing. That stupid tomboy must have shown her a thing or two. It wasn't long before she passed me, so I pushed farther down on the pedal. I was right on her tail, and there was only a few yards left until the finish line. I managed to hit her bumper, and her car went fishtailing to the left. I smiled to myself and crossed the finish line first, Usagi coming in second.

She yelled out loud and started pounding on my arm. I started laughing hysterically. "YOU CHEATED! YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE YOU BIG TWO-FACED SLIMEBALL! I'M NEVER GOING TO FORGIVE YOU!" she screamed, catching the attention of everyone else in the arcade.

Andrew came over and leaned against my chair. "Did you beat her?" he said with a chuckle. I nodded and Usagi flopped back in her seat, pouting.

"I have to say though Odango, you've gotten much better," I said, trying to cheer her up. She just kept pouting. Andrew laughed and gave her a pat on the head before returning to his work. She looked over at me and smiled.

"I'll beat you next time," she said.

I don't get it. She seems like the same old Serena to me. Her eyes are still the same vibrant cerulean, her smile is still as beautiful, her hair still the same odangos, her laugh still as mesmerizing. I don't understand what everyone is freaking out about.

Suddenly her communicator started beeping, and she fumbled to take it out of her pocket. I was tall enough to see over her shoulder at Makoto's face on the screen. "Usagi, come meet us at the park," Makoto said brightly. So they already went to her house. I chuckled to myself at their stupidity. Usagi groaned and nodded, thinking that it was another enemy. I knew better.

"It's not an enemy Usagi," I said. She looked up at me with a huge smile on her face.

"Really!?" she said. I laughed and nodded, causing her to squeal with joy. "No monsters todayyyy!" she said. She gave me another hug before she made her way to the arcade doors. I grabbed her wrist, stopping her. She turned around and looked at me, eyebrows raised.

"Don't tell anyone about me meeting you here, okay?" I said. She was clearly confused, but nodded and smiled before walking out of the arcade. I watched her slender figure walk down the street towards the park and I sighed to myself. If only she were mine...

Makoto's P.O.V.

I ran with the girls to Usagi's house to find that she wasn't home. I almost smacked myself for not realizing my mistake. She always went to the arcade on Saturdays, anyone would know that. Ami and Haruka felt just as stupid. Taiki and Yaten followed us to Serena's house, and they smacked their foreheads in realization.

"Seiya knew...God dangit he beat us to her!" Taiki said. Yaten rolled his eyes, but Haruka almost exploded with anger.

"DID HE NOT HEAR WHAT PLUTO SAID!?" Haruka yelled, getting up in Yaten's face. Yaten back up, holding his hands up in surrender. She started pacing, trying to come up with an idea. I knew Ami was just as angry, but she didn't want to show it in front of Taiki.

"I'll just call her and tell her to meet us at the park," I said coolly. Taiki's cell phone rang, so he stepped to the side to answer it. I called Usagi on our communicator and she answered, looking rather cheerful. "Usagi, come meet us at the park," I said, trying to sound cheerful. She said she would and hung up. Taiki just got off of the phone as well.

"We need to go, we have an interview in an hour," Taiki said. Yaten groaned, but followed him towards their apartment. "Good luck with your Princess!" Taiki yelled over his shoulder. Ami watched him go, and I nudged her playfully. She blushed, knowing exactly what I was thinking.

"Come on, we need to go to the park to meet Usagi," I said. The girls followed me towards the park, where we hoped to meet up with Usagi. Usagi wasn't there yet, typical. Ami's communicator beeped and she pulled it out. We sat on a bench and looked over her shoulder at Minako's face on the screen.

"Ami, we caught up with Mamoru and told him everything...but then we remembered that tomorrow's her birthday, and we're going to go and plan a surprise party for her. We'll meet up with you guys at Rei's temple later, okay? Since it's Saturday, we can all sleepover there and set up the party the next day without Usagi knowing. Sound good?" All three of us gasped when we remembered Usagi's birthday. Ami looked horror stricken. After all, she was the one who knew Serena the most. "Yeah, sounds great! We'll probably go shopping for her later," Ami said. They said good-bye and Ami put her communicator up and ran her fingers through her hair. "I feel awful," Ami said, her face tinted green.

Perfect timing; Usagi walked into the scene. Her golden hair was trailing behind her, gliding as she walked. As usual, she looked gorgeous. I was jealous of her...always have been.

"Hi guys," she said, sitting down next to me on the bench. "So, what's so important that you summoned me away from my arcade time?" she said jokingly. I looked up at her and smiled.

"We thought we should treat you to a shopping spree! You've been having such a tough time lately, we thought you deserved a little time to just be a teenager," I said, putting an arm around her shoulders and squeezing lightly. I saw Amaura's face fall out of the corner of my eye and smirked. I loved messing with her.

Serena smiled and nodded. "Sounds great! Let's go, I need some new shoes," Usagi said.

We went through the outlet mall, and everything Usagi liked we bought behind her back. She didn't even notice because she was too busy marveling at everything. Haruka would sneak out the back of the stores we were in and put the gifts in her car. It was late in the afternoon when we had been through every single store. Ami was the only one who didn't buy Serena something. I was going to go home later and make her some sweets along with the pair of sandals I bought her. You may think sandals is a stupid present, but these were expensive. They were all white with silver jewels on them, and they were supposed to be really sturdy. I was tempted to keep them for myself.

Usagi looked exhausted as we walked back to her house. It was nice to go an entire day without fighting monsters and just be a girl for once. Well, Amaura wasn't too pleased with the shopping, but oh well. We saw Mamoru, Minako, Rei, and Michiru a couple of times and had to keep her away from them, and that was a real task.

We stopped in front of her house and hugged her good-bye. She didn't mention anything about her birthday or Mamoru all day, which I found pretty strange. She walked into her house and the three of us stood there, exhausted from the day's work. "Are we going to Rei's?" Haruka said, leaning against the gate. I nodded and we parted our seperate ways to go get a pair of clothes for the next day.

I walked into my apartment. I went into my bedroom and packed a pair of clothes and pajamas, also my wallet and my bathing suit, just in case. I went into the kitchen and dropped my overnight bag onto the floor. I was going to make Usagi's treats now so that I wouldn't have to do it tomorrow. I decided to make her five dangos, carmelized and coated in powdered sugar, along with namagashi and a bunch of kompeito candies. After making all of Usagi's favorites, I gently placed them in a package and wrapped it with pink, bunny tissue paper. Along with her sandals, I put them in a bigger box and wrapped it with sparkly silver wrapping paper, writing her name in cursive on top. I leaned back and admired my work, wiping a bead of sweat off of my forehead. Everyone was probably at Rei's by now and it was getting dark out, so I grabbed my things and locked the door before heading to Rei's temple.

I just hope this party helps her be herself again...


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Usagi's P.O.V.

I went home from today's shopping trip feeling...refreshed. I felt, for the briefest time, happy. I don't know why I'm so sad lately. I guess I've just stopped caring. I'm not even sure I want to be a Sailor Scout anymore. It seems all I'm good for is getting myself into trouble. My parents and brother were on the couch, watching some comedy show on TV eating Japanese takeout.

"Usagi, would you like something to eat? We've got plenty," my mother said, gesturing towards the food layed out before her. I shook my head no, walking towards the stairs.

"No thanks, I already ate," I mumbled. I didn't hear a response from her so I went up to my room, expecting Luna to be napping on my pillow. She was no where to be found, which I thought was quite odd. She's probably sick of me too. I flopped down onto my bed, and my mind wandered off to my meeting with Seiya. He was the only one who made me happy; the only one who understood me. I bet he's the only one that remembers my birthday tomorrow as well. Why am I so lonely in this world? What did I do to deserve this?

I held my brooch in my hands, twisting it; examining it. I opened it up to reveal the small star, pulsating with the beat of my heart. Was it going...slower? I shook my head, figuring I was just hallucinating from exhaustion, and tossed the brooch onto my school uniform which lay crumpled on the floor. I rested my head on my pink pillow, thinking of Seiya and my "friends". Funny...I didn't even give Mamoru a thought today.

Mamoru's P.O.V.

We all went over to Rei's temple, including myself. It was kind of awkward to be in a room filled with girls, but Rei was generous enough to let me sleep on the couch outside of Rei's room. I snuggled into the cushions, thinking about my beloved Usagi when I heard my name from Rei's room.

"Shh, he might not be asleep yet," Rei snapped. I heard Rei's bedroom door slide open, and I pretended to be asleep, adding a slight snore for good measure. Rei went back into her room, and I heaved a sigh of relief. She was sometimes hard to trick, but I managed. I got up from my comfortable position and pressed my ear against Rei's door, listening to their conversation.

"Poor guy, he's trying so hard. And all for that ditz Usagi," Rei said. I clenched my fist slightly. She may be clumsy and a crybaby, but she's so much more than that. I hated when Rei made fun of her, because she's clearly going through a tough time right now.

"Cool it Rei, she's going through a rought time right now. Mamoru really loves her and we have to support their relationship 100%," the always-sensible Ami replied. I felt like going in and hugging the girl. She was always on Usagi's side, no matter what. She is a true friend.

"And what about the Starlights? What if Usagi wants them to be at the party?" Lita said. Just thinking about that tool Seiya made me want to go punch a hole into the wall. I still don't understand how it's possible Usagi could fall in love with him and have a child with him. Speaking of Kaliya, I'm pretty sure she's still at my apartment with Chibi-Usa and Hotaru. Chibi-Usa knows her way around my apartment, I'm sure they won't starve. I'll have to go check on her tomorrow morning before the party starts.

"They can't come. I don't care what Usagi wants, she'll understand someday that her and Seiya cannot be together no matter what," Haruka said sternly. This is why Haruka is one of my favorites. She's almost as protective over Usagi as I am, and I know that if I were ever to leave that she would make sure Usagi was safe 24/7.

"I guess you're right...but Usagi may be really upset. We don't want to ruin her birthday," Minako replied, a sad tone in her voice.

"One birthday isn't going to hurt. I mean, does she have to be so greedy? She's going to have all of her friends around her, and her boyfriend," Rei snapped. I honestly think Rei's just using her cold demeanor to hide the fact that she really is worried about Usagi. Rei and Usagi are the closest out of all of the girls, even though they treat each other badly.

"Can we just talk about this in the morning? We want to wake up refreshed for tomorrow," Michiru said. I heard a murmur of agreements and a lot of commotion before footsteps started to come closer to Rei's door. I cursed silently and ran to the couch, quickly sliding in under the blanket Rei had provided for me. Her door opened once more and Rei approached me, bending down close to me so that her face was right next to my ear.

"Hang in there Mamoru," she whispered. Her words left a lasting imprint on my mind as she went back into her room and slid the door closed.

Usagi's P.O.V.

I woke up the next morning feeling tired. I always feel tired in the morning, but today I just felt like my entire will to move was slowly shutting down. It's my birthday today. I highly doubt my parents remembered, or my friends. I bet Mamorueven forgot.

My birthday last year was awful. I can't remember it very clearly, but I do remember having my Heart Crystal snatched from me and suffering because all of my friends forgot my birthday. I went downstairs to find my father sitting at the kitchen table, reading his usual morning paper. It's Sunday, and the Sunday post always comes in for him to stare at all day. He looked up at me, his glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. "Morning Honey," he said, turning back to his paper. He forgot.

My mother was busy cooking chocolate chip waffles, and I decided to test her out too. I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her, pecking her on the cheek. "Morning Mom," I said sweetly. She jumped slightly and smiled warmly.

"Good morning sweetheart. Breakfast is almost ready. Where's Reni?" Mom said. Yep; she forgot. I ignored her question and flopped into my seat, tears brimming my eyes. Did no one care about me?

Sammy came bounding down the stairs, wearing his white and green sweater, blue jeans, and his bright red sneakers. His hair was messy as usual, and he was smiling broadly. He must have a date with Mika today to something. Mika is Sammy's secret girlfriend. She's sort of famous for her dolls that she makes. Sammy broke one of her prize winners, and it was thanks to moi that they got back together.

He sat at the table and licked his lips. "Smells like waffles," he said, winking at me. He knew I loved Mom's waffles. He looked right at me, showing no signs of knowing it was my 19th birthday. I sighed and stood from the table.

"Actually, I'm not very hungry right now. I'll probably have some later," I said, turning away and going back up to my room. I could feel my family's eyes on my back and I trudged upstairs, tears flowing down my cheeks. How could they forget? Was I just not important anymore? I went into my room and wiped my tears before grabbing my communicator. Hopefully the girls didn't forget. I contacted Rei and her face appeared on the screen. She didn't look like she wanted to talk to me right now.

"What do you want?" Rei snapped. Her words hurt, but I tried my hardest to keep a smiling face.

"Hey Rei, um, do you mind if I-" I was stopped by Rei's face turning from the screen. "Mamoru, put that over there," Rei whispered. I could hear her loud and clear. So Mamoru was at the temple...this couldn't be happening. "Guys shut up!" Rei whispered once again. So...the girls must be there too. All without me.

"-Come over?" I finished. Rei turned her attention back to me and she rolled her eyes.

"Serena, I have a life you know. I have better things to do than hang around you all of the time," Rei snapped. I nodded, tears brimming my eyes once more. "Okay...sorry Rei." I turned off my communicator and threw it across the room. It crashed into my wall and fell to the floor. Stupid unbreakable Moon machine. Tears were falling freely from my eyelids now, and I didn't bother to wipe them away. I didn't know the communicator was still on and that everyone heard my crying.

I decided to go for a walk and get out of the house. I put on a short white summer dress and a soft pink jacket with some old white flip flops before going in to brush out my long locks. I put them in their usual bun hairstyle and applied some lipgloss and perfume before heading outside. My family didn't notice me leaving.

I walked through the streets of Tokyo, watching happy couples as they held hands and giggled at each other. I felt a pang of jealousy and blinked back more tears. I'm all alone. Maybe Andrew remembered my birthday. I rounded a corner and ran right into a tall, muscular figure. My body started flying backwards, but a soft, firm hand grabbed my waist to prevent my fall.

I looked up into familiar navy blue eyes and broke into a smile. "You really should work on your issue with running into handsome men Odango," Seiya said. I blushed and wriggled out of his arm.

"Thank you," I said quietly. I began to look down and walk forward when Seiya grabbed my wrist. I turned to find him holding out a small, red velvet box towards me.

"Happy Birthday Odango," Seiya said, flashing his mesmerizing smile. I was shocked, completely awestruck. How did Seiya of all people remember my birthday? I didn't know what to say...I was so touched. I realized I had been standing there like an idiot for quite some time and reached out to gingerly hold the velvet box. "Open it," Seiya said, excitement tinting his voice.

I lifted the lid of the box to reveal a pair of beautiful diamond earrings that shined brightly. They were in the shape of two stars, shining almost as brightly as the Sun. I gasped and placed a hand over my mouth, marveling at the beautiful gift. I looked up into Seiya's excited eyes and couldn't help myself; I closed the box and threw my arms across his neck, hugging him tightly. He took a step back in surprise, but wrapped his arms around me nonetheless. I pulled back and smiled for the second time that day. He looked so proud of himself. "Thank you so much!" I said, hugging him once more. He held my hair back for me while I put them in my ears, feeling like I had jut gained a humongous beauty boost. Seiya whistled and I blushed.

"They suit you perfectly," he said. We walked together down to the arcade, where he treated me to a triple chocolate hot fudge sundae, topped with chocolate syrup, chocolate chips, brownies, and whipped cream. My taste buds went crazy when I took the first bite. Andrew laughed at my reaction and said something that surprised me.

"Happy Birthday Usagi!" Andrew said brightly. He held out a small package, wrapped in pink wrapping paper with little ice cream scoop patterns on it. I giggled and forced myself to stop eating my sundae so that I could open my gift. Inside was the brand new Sailor V Game. I smiled widely and ran around the counter to give Andrew a hug.

"Thanks Andrew!" I said sweetly. He patted me on the back and I pulled away, blushing slightly. Andrew was my first crush. Of course, not anymore. He's like a brother to me now. Funny how one of my oldest and one of my newest friends remembered my birthday. "I'm going to play this as soon as I get home," I said with a smile. Andrew looked proud of himself for thinking of such a gift, and frankly I was happy to have gotten it. Video games helped me forget about everything else in my life.

I went back to my sundae, feeling happy and refreshed. But then my thoughts wandered back to my friends, who were probably having fun without me right now.

"Hey, why the long face?" Seiya said, tilting my chin towards him. His eyes looked concerned. I smiled faintly and sighed as I took the last bite of my birthday sundae.

"The girls and Mamoru all spent the night at Rei's last night...and none of them remembered my birthday," I said sadly. Seiya wrapped a comforting arm around my shoulders and I leaned into him, breathing in the scent of brown sugar and soap.

"They obviously don't appreciate you for who you really are," Seiya whispered. I closed my eyes, relishing this moment with him. I just felt so warm...but there was an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. My eyes snapped open and I jumped backwards off of my chair. I tripped over the bar stool and sprawled onto the floor, quickly picking myself up and heading towards the sliding glass doors of the arcade. "What's the matter Odango?" Seiya said, walking towards me. I shook my head furiously, walking outside and started to run towards Rei's temple.

"I'm sorry Seiya...I can't do this. I have to go!" I yelled over my shoulder as I ran. Surprisingly enough, I didn't fall as I ran. I turned the corner and smacked right into a child. I almost fell backwards, but the force of my body impacting with the kid's sent her flying back instead of me. She turned her face and I realized the innocent, midnight black-haired girl with my eyes. "Kaliya?! What are you doing here all by yourself?" I said, helping her up. She was panting from running.

"Mommy...it's...Chibi-Usa...she's not...doing so well...she's at Mamoru's...apartment," Kaliya said in between breaths. I wasted no time in going to my daughter's aid. I scooped Kaliya up and sprinted towards Mamoru's apartment, ignoring the slight throbbing in my legs. I guess Kaliya's healing powers aren't fully developed. I ran as fast as I could into the lobby of Darien's apartment building. The elevator was going to be too slow, so I went up the stairs two at a time. Darien's apartment was on the very top floor, but I made it in record time. I threw open the unlocked door and ran into the living room, where Chibi-Usa's fading figure was sleeping on the couch. Hotaru was kneeling next to her, holding Chibi-Usa's translucent hand. "What happened?!" I said, kneeling next to my beloved daughter. Hotaru turned on me, glaring with eyes of steel. I unconciously leaned back, frightened of the Soldier of Destruction.

"This is all your fault! You were with him today, weren't you!? Are you stupid!? YOU'RE KILLING HER!" Hotaru yelled, grabbing my arm with a fierce grip. I struggled beneath her surprisingly strong hand, trying to release myself from her grasp.

"How...?" I said, clearly confused. Suddenly, I felt like my heart was lurching forward, trying to get out of my chest. I gasped and leaned forward, clutching my chest with my free arm. Hotaru let go and stared at me in shock. The feeling passed as soon as it had come. "You were with the Light boy! Princess, you cannot be with him! If you are with him, it will only end up in destruction for the future! The love he has for you isn't reciprocated by you. If you're with him, it will only end in the weakness of Crystal Tokyo. I know you're still in there, and I know your love for Mamoru is still burning. Please Usagi, you have to listen to me; for Chibi-Usa's sake and the rest of the world," Hotaru said. Her voice was pleading, as if this was her last resort. I thought about what she said, and my mind flashed back to the most recent attack. The burning sensation I felt back then left a lasting imprint on my mind, and I felt like I should be putting the pieces of the puzzle together by now. "I don't..." I started to say. Hotaru's eyes filled with tears and she broke down into sobs, leaning her head onto Chibi-Usa's fading figure. Chibi-Usa stirred and slowly opened her eyes.

"Mama?" she weakly whispered. I quickly went closer to her as Hotaru lifted her head and went out onto Mamoru's balcony. Kaliya stood to the side; silent.

"Yes baby, I'm here," I said, brushing a piece of hair away from her face.

"Happy Birthday," Chibi-Usa said with a smile. I gasped, surprised that she remembered.

"Thank you," I said quietly. There was an awkward silence for a few seconds before Chi bi-Usa spoke again.

"Mom?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Do you still love Mamoru?"

I froze at her question, searching within my heart for her answer. I came up blank, not knowing how to respond.

She looked at me with pleading eyes, anticipating my response. I felt like my answer would disappoint her, but I opened my mouth anyway.

"Who?"


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Mamoru's P.O.V.

I went home to check on Chibi-Usa early the next morning, whistling as I walked. I couldn't wait to see the look on Usagi's face when she went to Rei's this afternoon. She was going to be so happy, and soon everything will be back to normal. I took my time as I talked with some college friends on the way, feeling like nothing could ruin this perfect day.

I finally arrived at my apartment, inserting my keys in the lock and opening the door. Inside was terror.

Usagi was curled into a ball on the floor with Kaliya in her arms, both girls sobbing. Hotaru was causing destruction all throughout my apartment; throwing bowls and glass at the walls and floor. Chibi-Usa was no where to be seen. I rushed over to my beloved and wrapped an arm around her. "What happened?" I said gently, my eyes searching frantically for Chibi-Usa Usagi looked up into my eyes, and I gasped at the dull color of her own.

She shot away from me, backing into a corner with Kaliya still in her arms. "W-what are you doing here? Get out! Take my money, just go!" she said, fear in her voice. I was puzzled by her words. Hotaru stopped throwing things and froze.

"Usagi, this isn't funny," I said. Her eyes widened.

"How do you know my name?! Get out!" she screamed. I held my hands up in surrender, slowly backing up as Serena grabbed a nearby vase. I looked at Hotaru for help, but she just stood there in shock.

"GO!" Usagi shouted, preparing to throw. I didn't hesitate to leave the room and shut the door behind me. I ran my fingers through my hair, wondering what in the world was going on.

A few minutes later, Hotaru came out of my apartment. Her face was stained with tears and her eyes were red and puffy. I placed my hands on her shoulders.

"What's going on?" I said. Hotaru bit her lip as more tears formed in her eyes.

"Chibi-Usa's gone," she said quietly. I blinked, unable to process what Hotaru was saying.

"What do you mean 'gone'?" I said, even though I already knew the answer.

"She...she faded..." Hotaru said. She burst into tears and I pulled her into my arms, letting her cry into my shirt. She was only a child, and frankly she was the closest thing I had now that Reni was gone. I let the tears fall as I mourned over my beautiful daughter. How could this have happened? I felt like someone took my heart and crushed it with two fingers.

"What's going on with Usagi?" I said, choking back my tears. "She's the reason Chibi-Usa's gone...she's...forgotten," Hotaru said.

"Forgotten what?"

Hotaru sighed and crossed her arms over her chest as she looked into my eyes sadly.

"She's forgotten you."

Usagi's P.O.V.

I was terrified of the intruder, shaking uncontrollably as Kaliya hugged my leg.

"Mommy, that was Mamoru. He's your friend," Kaliya said. I looked down at her, wondering what she was talking about. I had no idea who that man was, and I was pretty sure I had never seen him before. I sat on the couch and dried my eyes, wondering why they were wet in the first place. Everything seemed so strange.

The door to the apartment opened, and Hotaru walked in with that man behind her. I stood and pushed Kaliya behind me protectively.

"Usagi, he just wants to talk. He's a friend," Hotaru said calmly. My muscles relaxed a bit, but I still didn't let down my guard. The man smiled warmly at me, but the smile did not reach his somber eyes. Those eyes... He approached me and held out his hand.

"Mamoru," he said kindly. I hesitated, but after receiving a glare from Hotaru, took his hand and shook gingerly. His hand was warm...almost...comforting.

I pulled my hand back and wiped it on my dress awkwardly.

"The girls told me to tell you that there's a Scout meeting in a few minutes, so you'd better get over there," Mamoru said. I nodded, wondering how he knew I was a scout. I didn't bother to ask, just grabbed Kaliya's small hand and led her out of the apartment. Mamoru and Hotaru followed, much to my dismay.

The walk to Rei's temple was silent, other than the gentle hum of Kaliya as she skipped alongside me. We finally arrived at the long stone staircase, and I groaned at the thought of climbing it. Kaliya just happily made her way up the stairs, smiling broadly. We arrived at the top, and I felt weird when I realized how quiet it was. There wasn't a single sound being made. "Are you sure there's a meeting?" I said, turning on Mamoru. He nodded and pointed towards the temple. Everyone must be in Rei's room then. I sighed and walked up to Rei's door, sliding it open.

"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SERENA!" everyone shouted. I gasped in surprise at the confetti and streamers that were falling around me, covering me. I giggled at the bunny balloons.

I was surrounded in a mess of hugs and echoes of "Happy Birthday!" and such. I smiled widely at the big pile of presents over in the corner. Everyone was here; Rei, Ami, Makoto, Minako, Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru, Kaliya, and I guess Mamoru, even though I don't know him very well yet. My face fell when I realized the one person I really wanted to see wasn't here...Seiya.

"Why the long face?" Makoto asked, wrapping an arm around me. I sighed and put on a fake smile.

"Oh, nothing. Thanks for all of this guys! It's really great!" I said happily. They all looked pretty proud of their accomplishment, even though the only thing I wanted wasn't here.

"Let's open presents!" Minako said, skipping over to the large pile. I giggled slightly and followed her, sitting down on a pillow. She began to hand me presents, and I was happy with each and every one.

Ami made me an amazing scrapbook, which I didn't have time to look at. The outside had a picture of me as Princess Serenity, and it was covered in pink fur. I loved it already. Rei got me a good luck charm, along with a new stack of comic books. Makoto made me amazing treats and some gorgeous sandals that I replaced my flip flops with. Minako gave me a huge stash of make-up and hair products, along with an MP3 player. Haruka and Michiru got me a beautiful new baby blue summer dress, along with a charm bracelet with all of the planet symbols on it. Hotaru made me a mini statue of myself in my Princess form, and last but not least was Luna and Artemis's gift.

I unwrapped the shiny silver box and opened the lid to find a gorgeous silver necklace with the silver crystal attatched to it. But...the silver crystal wasn't silver.

It was black.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

~Usagis P.O.V.~

"Why is the Silver Crystal black?" I asked the girls.

"Well...It's because you've forgotten about the past and future, Usagi," Luna said.

"What are you talking about Luna?" I questioned her. She proceeded to explain things when I interrupted her. "Wait...so you're saying that I'm actually in love with him and have a daughter named Chibi-Usa with him and Kaliya is a mistake?" I asked, while pointing at the unknown man.

"That about sums it up," Luna said.

"Haha! I get it; this is a birthday prank, right?" I asked, smiling.

"I'm afraid it's not Usagi," Ami said, looking down at the floor.

"I can't believe it. I don't even know him!" I exclaimed. "Yes you do! He's..." Minako started to explain when I stood up suddenly.

"I'm sorry but I can't believe this. Come on Kaliya, let's go see what Seiya's doing right now. They need to get their heads checked out," I said, taking my ONLY daughter's hand and left them all sitting there, stunned the party and presents completly forgotten.

"Why did you do that mommy?" Kaliya asked me.

"I just can't believe they would lie to me on my birthday. I'm just angry at them is all. It's nothing for you to worry about sweety," I told her as walked to Seiya's. When we got there, I knocked and he answered.

"Serena, what are you doing here? I thought you were having a party," he told me.

"I was but then..." and I filled him in on what had happened while Kaliya watched T.V.

"Wow..." he said afterwards.

I was silent as I reached over and snuggled into his chest to watch T.V. with our daughter.

~Seiya's P.O.V.~

I'm ecstatic that Usagi's mine now...but I can't help but wonder what took away her memories. This is all a lot to take in, but at least I have her now. I'll never let anything happen to her, ever. I settled in to watch T.V. with Usagi and our daughter. Still wondering abbout that but what ever who am I to question the future? She snuggled into my chest, which made my heart start beating harder. I heard light snores, and saw Kaliya and Serena asleep. I got up and carried Kaliya into a guestroom,laying her on the bed and kissing her forehead goodnight. Just after I left Kaliya's temporary room to go back to the couch where Serena was sleeping, I heard a knock on the door. I looked through the peephole and saw...


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Seyia's P.O.V.

I looked through the peephole and saw...Taiki and Yaten. I opened the door for them. "You guys know it's your place too right?" I asked them with a raised eyebrow. "We know." Yaten said with a smile. I rolled my eyes. Just then I heard footsteps approaching me. I looked and saw Serena with Kaliya. "Hey guys." Serena said cheerfully. "Hey Serena. Happy birthday." Taiki said. "Why's Kaliya here?" Yaten asked curiously. "Guys she's my daughter..." I told them.

"What?! Since when do you have a daughter?" Yaten exclaimed. "Usagi and I have a daughter in the future. She came back here because her parents wanted her to have a normal childhood before she becomes a princess." I explained calmly. They looked shocked. "So you two..." Yaten said drifting off. Usagi and I both blushed bright red. Taiki, Yaten and Kaliya were laughing at us."Daddy can we go get ice cream?" Kayla asked me looking up at me with pleading eyes after they were all done laughing at us. "Sure sweetheart." I told her lovingly. She gently took mine and Usagi's hands. "Do you guys wanna come?" Usagi asked my brothers. "Sure why not." Taiki said and they followed us out of the house. The three of us were in disguise so we wouldn't get swarmed by fans . -_- Anyways we were on our way to the amusement park for ice cream. Usagi and I were swinging Kaliya back and forth with our arms. She was laughing with glee. "Wow who would have thought Seiya was responsible enough to be a father?" Yaten asked teasingly. I stuck my tongue out at him while they laughed with Usagi and Kaliya. Then I saw someone I really didn't want to see...


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

3rd Person's P.O.V.

Seiya saw Haruka walking through the park as well with Michiru. "Oh no." he muttered under his breath. "What is it?" Usagi asked him. "Oh nothing." he replied quickly. Just then Kaliya saw the merry go round. "Mommy can we go on it please?" she begged Usagi. Usagi looked at the Starlights. "Why not." she said to the happy girl. The young girl dragged her over to the merry go round with the Starlights laughing. Kaliya climbed on to a plastic horse. The ride started and Yaten & Taiki watched with smiles as Kaliya laughed when she went around. They were glad that she was here. She had the same warm, comforting aura as Usagi and Seiya both. Seiya and Usagi stood watching their daughter laugh and giggle. Usagi leaned on Seiya's chest. "I'm glad she's happy." Usagi said smiling at her future daughter. Seiya was so happy about what was happening but at the same time he felt guilty that she was only with him because that's what her memory told her. He shook off those feelings and tried to concentrate on the fun time his future wife and daughter were having. Just then Haruka and Michiru heard the little girl's giggled and recognized them. They looked towards the merry go round and saw the Starlights and Usagi and Kaliya was on the ride. Michiru smiled at Kaliya. She really was a sweet child but she shouldn't exist. She's a mistake. Although she told herself this she couldn't help but feel bad for the child. She didn't pick who she was born to. Haruka glanced over to Michiru and saw her expression. "I know she's sweet and adorable and kind but we need to get Usagi together with Mamoru again which means she won't exist. I wish we didn't have to but we must to protect the future." she told her. "I know." Michiru replied while wrapping her arms around Haruka. They both noticed how happy Usagi looked. They hadn't seen her that happy for a while. They decided to leave and go to the lake instead. Right when they left the park Michiru's communicator went off. She answered it and Pluto was on the screen. Her expression looked both happy and sad at the same time. "What's up?" Haruka asked now looking at the screen. Pluto's answer shocked both girls. "It's Small Lady. She's come back..."


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

3rd person P.O.V.

" Really? That's great." Haruka exclaimed. " I know but she's... different..." Setsuna said sadly. "How's she different?" Michiru asked with worry. "She doesn't know Mamoru anymore and I can feel the tremendous twists in the time stream. Soon you'll see her. You must get the king and queen together again quickly." Setsuna said before ending the transmission. "How is it possible?" Haruka wondered. Just then they saw a black and blond chaired girl run past them and head for the park. They decided to follow. They saw her run up to Seiya and jump on his back. "Daddy!" she exclaimed happily. She got off him and Kaliya got off the merry go round and ran to the other girl. "Sister!" she exclaimed. The girls hugged each other and then went to Seiya and Usagi. "Hi mommy." the new girl said. Usagi's memories changed again to include Chibi-Usa. " Hello my baby." she said fondly. Seiya looked between the three girls in confusion. "Who are you?" he asked the blond and black haired girl. "Silly daddy I'm Chibi-Usa. Your daughter and Kaylia's sister." she said giggling. The Starlights were in shock.


End file.
